The Toe Bone is Connected to the Head Bone

It always interests me to learn of some new medical finding that challenges the way we think about human physiology. Yesterday, there was a report in Medscape News about the role of leptin in the regulation of hypothalamic neurohormones. This advances our understanding of basic physiology, and reveals a treatment strategy for some forms of infertility. It also helps explain the infertility often seen in female patients with Anorexia Nervosa. I suspect the same holds true for men with Anorexia, but this was not studied specifically.

The Medscape article deals with the use of leptin as a possible treamtent for hypothalamic amenorrhea.   The possible use for treatment of Anorexia is not discussed in the original article.  The possibility raises some ethical questions, which I discuss briefly.  Read the rest at The Rest of the Story.