Effect of Normal Level Endocrine Hormones and Hypothalamic Neuropeptides on Obesity in Women of Childbearing Age

AIMS: To explore the association of endocrine hormones and hypothalamic neuropeptides fluctuations within normal level with obesity in women of childbearing age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Laboratory data of women in childbearing age with normal levels of endocrine hormones and hypothalamic neuropeptides in Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital between March 2022 and October 2022 were retrospectively collected. Included subjects were divided into obese group and normal weight group according to body mass index. RESULTS: 80 subjects were included in final analysis, including 37 in the obese group and 43 in the normal weight group. Within the normal range, the levels of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, follicle-stimulating hormone, neuropeptide Y, and orexin were positively correlated with body mass index, while the levels of estradiol and oxytocin were negatively correlated with body mass index; the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, neuropeptide Y, and orexin were positively correlated with triglycerides, while proopiomelanocortin level was negatively correlated with triglycerides; neuropeptide Y level was positively correlated with total cholesterol, and cortisol level was negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Elevated levels of neuropeptide Y and orexin were independent risk factors for obesity (OR = 1.123, 95% CI = 1.023-1.232, p = 0.015; OR = 4.004, 95% CI = 1.174-13.656, p = 0.027), while increase in oxytocin level was an independent protective factor (OR = 0.833; 95% CI = 0.697-0.995; p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Among women of childbearing age, fluctuations in multiple endocrine hormones and hypothalamic neuropeptides within the normal range play a crucial role in regulating body weight and plasma lipids. Specifically, relatively higher levels of neuropeptide Y and orexin increase obesity risk, while elevated oxytocin levels reduce this risk. These identified biomarkers may offer candidates for subsequent mechanistic research and clinical interventions.