Circulating irisin levels in functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: a new bone damage index? A pilot study

Purpose Patients with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) could commonly have bone damage, often preceded by metabolic alterations due to a relative energy deficit state. To date, there are no markers capable of predicting osteopenia before it is manifested on DXA. Irisin is a myokine that promotes the differentiation of osteoblastic cells and appears to be inversely correlated with the incidence of bone fragility and fractures in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to measure irisin levels in FHA patients and to correlate it with bone density parameters. Methods Thirty-two patients with FHA and 19 matched controls underwent the same clinical and laboratory evaluation. Results Irisin and body mass index (BMI) were significantly lower in the case group than in healthy controls (2.03 ± 0.12 vs. 2.42 ± 0.09 p