Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Is Associated with Disordered Eating

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), which is among the most common types of amenorrhea, is associated with diminished pulsatile secretion of both gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropins. Researchers in New York tested the hypothesis that many women with HA have a metabolic signal indicating inadequate nutrition and abnormal eating behavior. They studied eating attitudes and levels of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones whose secretion is linked to eating, in 27 women with HA and in 42 regularly menstruating controls; in animal studies, ghrelin has been found to suppress gonadotropins. Women with known eating disorders were excluded from the study.

Compared with controls, the women with HA consumed significantly more calorie…