Obesity and Bone Density Linked

There's a link between obesity and osteoporosis. The obesity gene, which helps maintain body weight and fertility, plays a key role in controlling bone density.

A study shows that leptin, the hormone produced by the obesity gene, acts as a natural bone inhibitor by telling the brain to slow down the rate of bone formation. The study is the first to show that the brain has a central role in controlling bone formation.

Investigators from the Baylor College of Medicine call the finding significant because it identifies an entirely new avenue for targeting osteoporosis therapies, perhaps even eventually leading to the prevention of the debilitating disease. The Baylor team says it may be possible to manipulate the leptin pathway in a way that increases bone mass, but avoids the adverse effects like weight gain.

In studies on mice, the "leptin deprived" group produced more solid and dense bone structure than the group of regular mice. Investigators believe there's evidence leptin may use a different pathway for bone formation than it does for weight control. Future research will focus on developing therapies to use the distinction to treat osteoporosis.