Research
Hormonal
Obesity induces an FGF21-resistant state characterized by reduced KLB expression in adipose tissue, impairing FGF21 signaling.
In obesity, your body produces more FGF21 but becomes resistant to it. This resistance can be overcome with high-dose treatments.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
obesity also increases serum FGF21 in both mice and humans, most likely as a result of increased fatty liver. This apparent increase in circulating levels of FGF21 indicates that obesity leads to an FGF21-resistant state.
Why this rating
Consistent findings in obese mice and humans.
Source
Understanding the Physiology of FGF21
Ffolliott M. Fisher et al. · Annual Review of Physiology · 2015
DOI 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021115-105339
narrative_reviewCited 881×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Exogenous administration of FGF21 induces weight loss and improves glycemia in obese animal models primarily by increasing energy expenditure rather than reducing food intake.Good
- FGF21 promotes the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and increases thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in response to cold exposure and metabolic stress.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →