Hormone News and Research

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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.

Male sufferers now have access to osteoporosis drug Actonel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given it's approval for the drug Actonel (risedronate sodium) to be used to treat osteoporosis in men.

15 Aug 2006

Ancient blue war paint from plant rich in cancer fighting compound

Glucobrassicin, a compound in plants which is known to be an anti-cancer agent has been discovered in a plant that gave ancient Britons and Celts their blue war paint.

14 Aug 2006

Researchers discover how genes and diet interact to cause birth defects

Expectant mothers may someday get a personalized menu of foods to eat during pregnancy to complement their genetic makeup as a result of new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

8 Aug 2006

The circadian rhythm of glucocorticoids is regulated by a gating mechanism residing in the adrenal cortical clock

In mammals, including humans, a master clock in the brain and subordinate clocks found in organs throughout the body coordinate daily, or circadian, rhythms of behavior and physiology.

8 Aug 2006

New tool to study protein kinase A - linked to heart failure

Scientists studying heart cells have devised a new way to visualize and quantify the rise and fall in the activity of a key enzyme linked to heart failure.

8 Aug 2006

Diethylstilbestrol-exposed women at greater risk of developing breast cancer

So-called "DES daughters," born to mothers who used the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy, are at a substantially greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who were not exposed to the drug in utero.

7 Aug 2006

Turning the immune system against cancer

Medicine can now prevent a host of diseases with a mere shot of vaccine. Polio and smallpox are almost non-existent, and mumps and chicken pox are rarely seen nowadays.

4 Aug 2006

EPA accused of putting industry interests before public health

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being put under pressure by a number of states to be transparent, especially when it comes to insisting pesticide manufacturers disclose all the ingredients on their product labels.

2 Aug 2006

Variation in the CHEK2 gene may triple a woman's risk of developing breast cancer

Study shows that women in the general population who carry a specific CHEK2 mutation are three times as likely as women without the mutation to develop breast cancer.

2 Aug 2006

Altering fatty acid levels in diet may reduce prostate cancer growth rate

UCLA researchers found that altering the fatty acid ratio found in the typical Western diet to include more omega-3 fatty acids and decrease the amount of omega-6 fatty acids may reduce prostate cancer tumor growth rates and PSA levels.

2 Aug 2006

Labour induced in the morning means fewer complications

Australian researchers say pregnant women who need for one reason or another to have their labour induced are better having the induction done in the morning than in the evening.

2 Aug 2006

Anti-obesity vaccine keeps rats trim

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California in the U.S. have developed an anti-obesity vaccine that significantly slowed weight gain and reduced body fat in rats even when they over ate.

1 Aug 2006

FDA does an about turn on Plan B contraceptive pills

After years of dilly dallying over it's stand on over-the-counter sales of the "morning-after" contraceptive officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suddenly appear to be doing an about turn.

31 Jul 2006

Genes may be responsible for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder tends to run in families, causing members of several generations to experience severe anxiety and disturbing thoughts that they ease by repeating certain behaviors.

26 Jul 2006

Estradiol and its metabolites and their association with knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, which usually develops between the ages of 40 and 50, is more prevalent in women. It is thought that sex hormones may play a role in developing the disease, since they can be involved in inflammation of the tissues affected by it.

26 Jul 2006

Disease-specific gene expression profiles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

They sleep together, eat together, and most people find it impossible to tell them apart. Identical twins who grow up together share just about everything, including their genes.

26 Jul 2006

Insufficient evidence exists to support the use of complementary and alternative therapies to relieve menopause

Complementary and alternative therapies show little benefit in treating menopause symptoms.

25 Jul 2006

Estrogen and testosterone combination to treat menopause may increase risk of breast cancer

Women who take a combination of estrogen and testosterone to treat the symptoms of menopause may have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to an article in the July 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 Jul 2006

Birch bark compound may be potent prostate cancer fighter

A compound found in the bark of the white birch tree - betulonic acid, a derivative of betulinol - may finally have been rendered a water-soluble, bio-available drug, and is already showing the potential to be a possible agent against prostate cancer - in cell culture and in an animal model.

25 Jul 2006