Study Links 20% Higher LEAP2 to Anorexia Relapse Risk
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 12
Study Links 20% Higher LEAP2 to Anorexia Relapse Risk
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 12
Summary
Thirty women in anorexia treatment showed about 20% higher LEAP2 levels at hospitalization than after four months of refeeding, and levels rose again in those who later relapsed.
LEAP2 blocks ghrelin’s hunger signaling, and researchers found the ghrelin-LEAP2 ratio tracked impulse control after weight restoration in patients who maintained stable weight gain.
Mouse tests reinforced the mechanism: animals that lost 25% of body weight became more impulsive around food, and higher LEAP2 remained tied to that behavior even after refeeding.
The findings, presented at FENS Forum 2026 and published in Translational Psychiatry, point to LEAP2 as a possible blood biomarker for relapse and a target for new anorexia drugs.
The work addresses a major clinical gap in a disorder with no effective drug treatment, where roughly 40% of hospitalized patients are readmitted within six months.
Could a hormone blocker finally offer a cure for anorexia nervosa?
Is anorexia a disease of metabolism, not just a mental disorder?
LEAP2 Hormone Identified as Key Predictor of Relapse in Anorexia Nervosa: Clinical and Research Advances
Overview
A major breakthrough in anorexia nervosa (AN) research was presented at the FENS Forum 2026, where Dr. Virginie Tolle revealed that the hormone LEAP2 may predict relapse risk in AN patients. AN is a severe psychiatric disorder, mainly affecting young women, marked by self-imposed food restriction and hyperactivity, often leading to dangerous undernutrition and the highest mortality rate among psychiatric illnesses. With no effective drug treatments available, this discovery offers new hope. Identifying LEAP2 as a relapse predictor could help clinicians better manage AN and improve long-term recovery for patients.