Hormone News and Research

RSS

A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

Body fat percentage predicts male fertility better than BMI

A man's body fat percentage may be a better indicator of his reproductive health than body mass index (BMI) according to a large study of over 1000 Danish men.

29 Jul 2026

Premature menopause linked to higher risk of developing hypertension

Women who reach menopause before age 40 face a meaningfully higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who go through menopause after age 45, according to a new study of more than 107,000 women.

29 Jul 2026

Too little or too much iodine may push immunity off balance

This narrative review finds that adequate iodine supports thyroid hormone signaling, leukocyte metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and antimicrobial activity in humans and domesticated mammals. Both deficiency and sustained excess may impair immunity or promote thyroid inflammation, but precise immune-specific intake thresholds remain uncertain.

27 Jul 2026

Scientists discover master molecular switch for ginseng saponin production

Sanchi ginseng (Panax notoginseng) is a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine, prized for its saponins-bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and anticancer properties.

24 Jul 2026

Prolactin activates brain pathway promoting maternal caregiving behavior

New research has found a hormone is responsible for making mothers' interactions with newborns feel rewarding rather than just necessary.

22 Jul 2026

UWM neuroscientist explores how estrogens regulate memory and brain function

Karyn Frick likes to think big. In college, she spent the summer after her junior year studying the neurobiology of memory in a lab at Johns Hopkins University. For hours at a time, Frick would watch rats scurry through mazes, entranced by their behavior.

22 Jul 2026

Corn-based foods linked to higher mycotoxin exposure in pregnancy

Consuming common foods such as corn chips and popcorn may put pregnant women at risk of being exposed to mycotoxins – harmful substances produced by mold – according to Rutgers researchers.

22 Jul 2026

Thymus hormone identified as key player in reversing age-related inflammation

Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body-a phenomenon known as "inflammaging" because it increases with age-has been linked to many of today's leading causes of illness and death, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Jul 2026

Study tests chronotype’s liver link and finds no significant association

Researchers found no significant association between chronotype and FibroScan-derived liver fat or stiffness in 119 medication-naïve adults with overweight or obesity. The exploratory findings cannot exclude smaller effects, particularly for fibrosis, and require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.

21 Jul 2026

Spring clock change increases retinal vascular disease risk, study finds

For the first time, Northwestern Medicine scientists have detailed how the semiannual clock changes impact a person's risk of developing retinal vascular disease, a group of disorders that affect blood vessels in the retina and can lead to vision loss.

20 Jul 2026

Popular diabetes drugs do not alter the risk of developing a blinding eye condition

An estimated 27% of U.S. adults with diabetes are using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) - a type of medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone - to lower blood sugar and support weight loss. Some research has suggested that their use can reduce the risk of developing other diseases.

17 Jul 2026

Researchers identify immune cell receptor that drives organ aging process

We may age at different rates, but none of us escapes aging. A study in mice and in human cells by Stanford Medicine researchers pins much of the blame on a particular type of immune cell's increased inability, with advancing age, to gobble up another immune cell type.

16 Jul 2026