The Study
The Ghrelin-LEAP2 System in Obesity and Diabetes: Pathophysiological Roles and Therapeutic Potential
This study is like a big summary of lots of other science stories — some from mice, some from test tubes, and a few from people. It says 'maybe this hormone does this' or 'it looks like these two things happen together,' but it doesn't prove that one causes the other. It's telling us what scientists think might be going on, not what they know for sure.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
Your body has two hormones that control hunger: ghrelin says 'eat!' and LEAP2 says 'stop eating.' When you're hungry, ghrelin goes up and LEAP2 goes down. When you eat, it flips. But in people with obesity, ghrelin is too low and LEAP2 is too high, so the body doesn't feel hungry even when it needs food — making diets hard to stick to.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 51 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means your body's natural hunger signal gets muted after weight loss, making it easier to regain weight — explaining why most diets fail long-term.
- 2LEAP2 reduces food intake and lowers blood sugar after meals as much as GLP-1 (a known weight-loss drug target).
- 3In obesity, ghrelin is lower than expected, and LEAP2 is higher, weakening the hunger signal.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Current Obesity Reports
Year
2026
Authors
Isabela Valdés-Calero, Gema Frühbeck, Amaia Rodríguez
Related Content
Claims (7)
Calorie-restricted diets lead to increased hunger signals that prevent most people from keeping off lost weight.
When LEAP2 is given to humans, it lowers blood sugar after meals and decreases how much food people eat, with a similar effect to GLP-1.
The ratio of ghrelin to LEAP2 rises when a person has not eaten and falls after eating, directly regulating hunger and energy conservation.
In people with obesity, lower ghrelin and higher LEAP2 levels are linked to a reduced response to ghrelin, which results in less hunger signaling during calorie restriction and a greater likelihood of regaining lost weight.
People with obesity and type 2 diabetes have lower levels of ghrelin and higher levels of LEAP2 in their blood than lean, metabolically healthy people, and this difference in hormone levels is linked to altered appetite control and metabolic problems.
Blocking ghrelin signaling with specific drugs reduces binge-eating behavior in animal models of compulsive overeating.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.