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Article: Leptin therapy helps patients with rare disorder.
- Article from:
- Nutrition Health Review
- Article date:
- March 22, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetus Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Leptin replacement therapy drastically reduces triglyceride levels and controls diabetes in patients with rare fat disorders known as lipodystrophies, according to researchers at the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Leptin, a protein produced by fat cells, is nearly absent in patients with generalized lipodystrophies--disorders that result in extreme loss of body fat. Generalized lipodystrophies are associated with metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and an accumulation of fat in the liver. Current treatments consist of high-dose ...