Ghrelin capacity for food but also dramatically lowers ghrelin levels compared to both lean controls and those that lost weight through dieting alone. However, studies are conflicting as to whether or not ghrelin levels return to nearly normal with gastric bypass patients in the long term after weight loss has stabilized. Bariatric surgeries involving vertical-sleeve gastrectomy reduce plasma ghrelin levels by about 60% in the long term. Ghrelin plasma concentration increases with age and this may contribute to the tendency for weight gain as people age. Ghrelin Ghrelin (pronounced ), the "hunger hormone", also known as lenomorelin (INN), is a peptide
Growth hormone secretagogue of growth hormone deficiency. They also see black market use, similarly to anabolic steroids, for bodybuilding purposes. Growth hormone secretagogue Growth hormone secretagogues (GSHs) are a class of drugs which act as secretagogues (i.e., induce the secretion) of growth hormone (GH). They include agonists of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), such as ghrelin (lenomorelin), pralmorelin (GHRP-2), GHRP-6, examorelin (hexarelin), ipamorelin, and ibutamoren (MK-677), and agonists of the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR), such as growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (somatorelin), CJC-1295, sermorelin, and tesamorelin. Many also induce the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), as well as of other