Plasma leptin levels are lower in females, but not males, with ketamine use disorder.
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse September 2, 2024 Ming-Chyi Huang, Li-Jung Chiang, Wan-Hsi Chien et al.
Females with ketamine use disorder have lower leptin levels than healthy females, and those lower levels persist even after two weeks of abstinence. In contrast, males with ketamine use disorder show leptin levels similar to healthy males at the start of abstinence, and their leptin levels increase after two weeks of abstinence. Leptin is a hormone linked to addiction, and these sex-specific differences may be relevant for understanding recovery from ketamine dependence.