Do Lactation-Induced Changes in Ghrelin, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1, and Peptide YY Influence Appetite and Body Weight Regulation during the First Postpartum Year?
Table 2
Appetite-regulating hormones and other hormones during fasting and in response to a standardized meal.
Never-pregnant controls ()
Lactating women ()
Fasting
Prolactin (ng/mL)
19.0 7.0
53.1 30.2
0.0001
Thyroid stimulating hormone
2.2 1.4
1.4 0.7
0.05
Leptin (ng/mL)
16.4 10.9
16.7 9.9
NS
Insulin (U/mL)
0.51 1.60
0.26 0.68
NS
Ghrelin (pg/mL)
875.5 333.6
763.3 215.3
NS
Ghrelin (pg/mL)
98.9 72.5
117.6 102.8
NS
PYY (pg/mL)
99.0 43.2
98.0 30.2
NS
GLP-1 (pM)
14.3 7.6
12.6 5.0
NS
Meal-induced responses (area under the curve, AUC)
Insulin (AUC, U/mL)
718 625
1133 1212
NS
Ghrelin (+AUC, pg/mL)
20947 26658
13206 12060
NS
Ghrelin (−AUC, pg/mL)
16620 28432
6655 6205
NS
Ghrelin (+AUC, pg/mL)
4339 5722
6362 11017
NS
Ghrelin (−AUC, pg/mL)
232.4 393.2
1500.5 3494.7
NS
Ghrelin (+AUC, pg/mL)
3923.4 7548.0
2942.9 5358.9
NS
PYY (AUC, pg/mL)
3378 2201
3679 3044
NS
GLP-1 (AUC, pM)
1017 714
882 874
NS
Ghrelin, acylated (active) ghrelin; +AUC, standard AUC or AUC above baseline; −AUC, area below baseline.
