Ghrelin: are its levels related to obesity?

Ghrelin, a recently discovered hormone, has been found primarily in the stomach, though it exists in other areas of the body as well. While researching ghrelin levels, scientists found that the hormone increases feeling of hunger when it is increased in the body. In addition, high levels of ghrelin have been found to suppress the amount of fat used by the adipose tissue. In man it plays a role in energy balance and somatotropic function. However, when the energy balance gets disturbed (energy intake energy expenditure), this may eventually lead to sustained weight problems, like for example, in obese subjects.Obesity is an excess of body fat mass. It has become an international public health problem. Unfortunately, effective treat­ment options are limited.In this review it is summarized the available data, concerning the hormone ghrelin that seems to influence the development of obesity, through its role in control of energy balance, food intake and regulation of body weight. Ghrelin is an anabolic hor­mone and its levels change profoundly in obesity, suggesting that this is an important hormone in body weight regulation