Endocrinology News From Medical News Today

Tibolone Reduces Risk Of Fractures And Breast Cancer But Increases Risk Of Stroke In Older Women - August 14, 2008

Tibolone, a synthetic drug used in many countries mainly to treat menopausal symptoms, reduces the risk of fractures and breast cancer, but also increases the risk of stroke in older women. Those are the findings of a study published in the August 14th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine Researchers recruited 4,538 women, between the ages of 60 and 85 years, in 22 countries for this randomized, double-blind study. Half were given 1.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118198.php

Contracpetive Pill Influences Partner Choice - August 13, 2008

The contraceptive pill may disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves, research at the University of Liverpool has found. Disturbing a woman's instinctive attraction to genetically different men could result in difficulties when trying to conceive, an increased risk of miscarriage and long intervals between pregnancies. Passing on a lack of diverse genes to a child could also weaken their immune system.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118076.php

Testosterone Key To Disease Transmission - August 10, 2008

High levels of testosterone may be a key factor in spreading disease among mice, according to biologists. The findings could help explain why males in a population are often more likely to get infected, and transmit disease. Previous research has linked testosterone, the male sex hormone, to immune system suppression. Studies have shown that males, compared to females, experience more bouts of disease, and account for a larger share of disease transmission.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117727.php

UCLA And Biotech Company Develop First Blood Test To Measure Key Hormone That Regulates Iron - August 10, 2008

UCLA and Intrinsic LifeSciences, a San Diego biotech company, developed the first method to measure the hormone, hepcidin, which regulates the absorption of dietary iron and its distribution in the body. This new blood test will help clinicians manage chronic conditions affecting millions of people worldwide such as anemias and iron overload diseases. The new test will measure the amount of hepcidin in the blood.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117790.php

Expert Available For Menopause Awareness Month To Discuss New Advances For Treating Female Sexual Dysfunction - August 9, 2008

This August is Menopause Awareness Month, a good time for women to discuss with their doctors female sexual dysfunction, a real but often-overlooked medical condition. It may be surprising to learn that approximately forty million American women suffer from some type of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which can arise from many causes, including increasing age, certain surgical procedures, the use of prescription pharmaceuticals, disease, or chemical imbalances.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117766.php

Metabolic Insight To Illuminate Causes Of Iron Imbalance - August 8, 2008

New insight into key players in iron metabolism has yielded a novel tool for distinguishing among root causes of iron overload or deficiency in humans, the researchers report in the August issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. While the body needs iron to produce hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen, too much iron can build up and eventually damage organs.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117709.php

Nature Publication Reports On Key Role Of Bile Acids In Glucose Metabolism And Insulin Signaling - August 8, 2008

Historically, bile acids have been recognized primarily as natural detergents that regulate the absorption of dietary lipids and cholesterol homeostasis. However, recent research advances provide evidence that bile acids have broader systemic endocrine functions, acting as important mediators of glucose metabolism and insulin signaling. The featured article in the current issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (Vol.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117616.php

Key Site In Iron Metabolism Aids In Diagnosing Anemia Of Chronic Disease - August 6, 2008

University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have developed a new tool that facilitates diagnosis of anemia related to chronic illness, as well as diseases of iron overload. The results of a study detailing the new tool are published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. Iron balance in the body is regulated by the interaction between a liver-produced hormone called hepcidin and the iron transporting receptor ferroportin.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117369.php

Iron Metabolism Research Yields New Tool In Diagnosing Anemia Of Chronic Disease - August 6, 2008

University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have developed a new tool that facilitates diagnosis of anemia related to chronic illness, as well as diseases of iron overload. The results of a study detailing the new tool are published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. Iron balance in the body is regulated by the interaction between a liver-produced hormone called hepcidin and the iron transporting receptor ferroportin.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117340.php

Testosterone And Body Fat Are Controlled By The Same Genes - August 6, 2008

Genes that control percentage of body fat are also responsible for circulating levels of testosterone in men, research published in the latest edition of Clinical Endocrinology shows. The research shows a 23% overlap between the genes that control testosterone and those that regulate body fat composition, suggesting that these two variables are partly controlled by the same set of genes.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117307.php