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Horm Metab Res 1999; 31(4): 274-277
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-978732
Originals Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Serum Leptin Levels, Body Fat Deposition, and Weight in Females with Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa

K. Mathiak1 , W. Gowin2 , J. Hebebrand3 , A. Ziegler4 , W. F. Blum5 , 6 , D. Felsenberg2 , H. Lübbert7 , W. Köpp1
  • 1Department of Psychosomatics, Medical Center Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Germany
  • 2Department of Radiology, Medical Center Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Germany
  • 3Clinical Research Group, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University of Marburg, Germany
  • 4Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology of the University of Marburg, Germany
  • 5Children's Hospital of the University of Gießen, Germany
  • 6Lilly GmbH, Germany
  • 7Department of Gynecology, Medical Center Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Germany
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Publication History

1998

1998

Publication Date:
19 April 2007 (online)

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The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the relation between serum leptin level and fat deposition in patients with eating disorders. 40 female inpatients with anorexia (n = 24) or bulimia nervosa (n = 16) were assessed for leptin level, body mass index (BMI), and percentage body fat by dual-energy X-ray absorbometry (DXA). The results show that percentage body fat is a better predictor for leptin level and clinical findings in eating disordered patients than BMI. We discuss the necessity for DXA measurements in anorectic patients for prognostic and research purposes.

Key words

DXA - Eating Disorder - Adipocytes - Under-weight