title: Is there evidence that estrogen therapy promotes weight maintenance via effects on leptin?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leptin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes, plays a crucial role in regulating energy balance. Estrogen, like leptin, reduces food intake and adiposity while increasing energy expenditure in animals and humans of both sexes through its actions on the central nervous system. We reviewed the literature for studies of the effects of exogenously administered estrogen on serum leptin concentrations and adiposity in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using PubMed/Medline, we searched for studies of hormone therapy that enrolled healthy postmenopausal women. Studies were further evaluated to determine if leptin and adiposity were monitored both at baseline and throughout a treatment period of at least 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty articles met inclusion criteria. We found no consistent effects of exogenous estrogen on serum leptin concentrations, adiposity, or weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite suggestive data from animal studies, the current literature does not provide compelling evidence that estrogen therapy attenuates weight gain, alters circulating leptin levels, or improves leptin action in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: From the 1University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA; 2Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, University of Washington School of Medicine and VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; 3Diabetes and Obesity Center of Excellence and 4Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Alyse M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foster-Schubert
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Ellen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Schur
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D016239:MEDLINE; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D020738:Leptin