A hormone that regulates appetite has been used to restore fertility in a small number of women. In an experiment conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School, three women who had not had a period for as long as 14 years began menstruating. All were happy with the result. The hormone, called leptin, has been trumpeted as an appetite suppressor and a possible treatment for obesity. This new research shows that “a clear connection also exists between fat, or energy storage, and the ability to reproduce,” says Corrine Welt, an assistant professor of medicine who works at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard affiliate.
