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Leptin: Sympathetic and cardiovascular effects

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Abstract

Shortly after leptin was first discovered, it was hailed as the key to understanding obesity. However, it didn’t take long for investigators to realize that the hormone was more than a feedback signal to inhibit further food intake. Since those early days, leptin has been well characterized in rodents. It exerts an influence in many physiologic processes, including food intake, thermoregulation, fertility, thyroid function, adrenal function, sympathetic nerve activation, renal function, blood vessel tone, and blood pressure. No longer a satiety hormone, it is being looked at from many different perspectives. One such perspective is its influence on the cardiovascular system. This review highlights some of the work in this area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, 70112, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Efrain Reisin MD

Authors
  1. Robert J. Richards MD
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  2. Anthony Blalock MD
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  3. Jie Liao MD, PhD
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  4. Efrain Reisin MD
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Richards, R.J., Blalock, A., Liao, J. et al. Leptin: Sympathetic and cardiovascular effects. Curr Cardiol Rep 5, 453–458 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-003-0106-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-003-0106-0

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