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.

Coping and copulation behavior may help calculate diabetes risk

Discussion of a man's background, attitude, and sexual history isn't just the fodder of Sex and The City episodes - in the future, it could also be a way of evaluating his risk of diabetes.

7 Nov 2008

Saw Palmetto for enlarged prostate

Physician-scientists are studying an herbal supplement that might aid in reducing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate in men. Recent figures show that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in an estimated 50 percent of men over the age of 50 and in 75 percent of men 80 and older.

6 Nov 2008

Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancer

Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

6 Nov 2008

Needle-free injection device approved in Europe and Australia

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced that its license partner, Ferring Pharmaceuticals has received additional regulatory approvals in Europe and Australia for use of Antares' needle-free injection devices with its human growth hormone (hGH), Zomacton.

6 Nov 2008

Investigational drug, MK-677 shows promise for reducing age-related frailty

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System report that a daily single oral dose of an investigational drug, MK-677, increased muscle mass in the arms and legs of healthy older adults without serious side effects, suggesting that it may prove safe and effective in reducing age-related frailty.

5 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

5 Nov 2008

Apelin hormone shows promise as target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

By injecting a hormone produced by fat and other tissues into mice, researchers report in the November Cell Metabolism that they significantly lowered blood sugar levels in normal and obese mice.

5 Nov 2008

Anti-frailty pill for seniors in the pipeline

An 'anti-frailty' pill for seniors could be in the pipeline - the pill which increases muscle mass in arms and legs of older adults is the brainchild of researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.

5 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

4 Nov 2008

Children who are poor sleepers more likely to be obese as adults

According to new research regularly getting a good night's sleep as a child may help protect adults from becoming obese.

4 Nov 2008

Women have a greater diversity of microbes on their palms than men

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study indicates that not only do human hands harbor far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously believed, women have a significantly greater diversity of microbes on their palms than men.

4 Nov 2008

Genetic mutation linked to seasonal affective disorder

With the days shortening toward winter, many people will begin to experience the winter blahs.

4 Nov 2008

Research points to new treatment options for infantile hemangioma

A team of researchers led by Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) Dean for Research Bjorn Olsen has discovered a mechanism for the rapid growth seen in infantile hemangioma, the most common childhood tumor.

31 Oct 2008

FDA gets slap on the wrist over chemical BPA

The conclusion by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) that the widely used chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, is safe has been slammed by a panel of experts.

29 Oct 2008

Predicting menopause will soon be possible

Researchers at the University of Michigan say soon it will be possible to predict when women are likely to begin menopause.

28 Oct 2008

Stress affects older adults more than young ones

A study by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) has found that older adults change their behaviour more than young adults when under stress and this is particularly so in situations which involve risk.

28 Oct 2008

Scientists discover a catalytic antibody that degrades a known appetite stimulant

The antibody works against the gastric hormone ghrelin (pronounced "grell-in"), which has been linked to weight gain and fat storage through its metabolic actions. These findings point towards a potentially novel treatment for obesity that would interfere directly with the some of the biological mechanisms determining weight.

28 Oct 2008