Glucocorticoids, stress and eating: The mediating role of appetite‐regulating hormones

Abstract

Disrupted hormonal appetite signaling plays a crucial role in obesity as it may lead to uncontrolled reward-related eating. Such disturbances can be induced not only by weight gain itself but also by glucocorticoid overexposure, for example, due to chronic stress, disease, or medication use. However, the exact pathways are just starting to be understood. Here, we present a conceptual framework of how glucocorticoid excess may impair hormonal appetite signaling and, consequently, eating control in the context of obesity. The evidence we present suggests that counteracting glucocorticoid excess can lead to improvements in appetite signaling and may therefore pose a crucial target for obesity prevention and treatment. In turn, targeting hormonal appetite signals may not only improve weight management and eating behavior but may also decrease detrimental effects of glucocorticoid excess on cardio-metabolic outcomes and mood. We conclude that gaining a better understanding of the relationship between glucocorticoid excess and circulating appetite signals will contribute greatly to improvements in personalized obesity prevention and treatment.

A Rare Case of Congenital Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus Associated with Aquaporin 2 Gene Mutation and Subsequent Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Impact of Steroids on Kidney Function

“…We propose 2 theories to explain this situation: one is the effect of dexamethasone on the kidneys, which increases the glomerular filtration rate, antagonizing the effect of HCT [ 22 ], and the other is that dexamethasone can lead to improvement in appetite signaling [ 23 ] but it was misunderstood in our patient with the increase in drinking water.…”

Pharmacotherapy causing weight gain and metabolic alteration in those with obesity and obesity‐related conditions: A review

“…56 In a recent populationbased cohort study from the UK, weight gain of over 10% of body weight was observed in 10.2% of subjects who were chronically exposed to systemic glucocorticoids: women, younger people, those living in greater socioeconomic deprivation, and people who smoke were at higher risk. 57 Such weight gain is thought to be mediated by increased appetite 58,59 and reduced thermogenesis (via suppressing the function of brown adipose tissue). [60][61][62][63]…”

Liraglutide-associated depression in a patient with type 2 diabetes: A case report and discussion

“…[ 5 ] Further more, studies suggest potential antidepressant effects of GLP-1RAs, [ 6 – 8 ] which may be related to their involvement in the regulation of inflammation [ 9 , 10 ] and hormones such as cortisol and thyroid hormones. [ 11 ] Here, we report a case of a young male who developed depressive symptoms after using Liraglutide for blood sugar control and weight reduction. This patient, a young male with no history of depression, experienced worsening depressive symptoms after increasing the dose of Liraglutide.…”