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New studies in mice suggest that the hormone leptin can fundamentally change the brain's circuitry in areas that control appetite. Leptin acts during a critical period early in life, possibly influencing how much animals eat as adults. And later in life, responding to how much fat is on an animal's body, it can again alter brain circuitry that controls how much is eaten. Researchers say the findings, published today in the journal Science, are a surprise and add new clues to why weight control is so difficult in some humans. Scientists knew that leptin is released by fat cells and...

<p>When 24 volunteers sat down for a buffet lunch, they knew every calorie would be counted. But they didn't know whether researchers gave them an extra dose of a hormone that curbs the appetite. The results showed that the hormone worked, telling their brain that they were full and cutting their appetite by nearly a third.</p>

Lesbians are more than twice as likely to suffer from a hormone-related condition, fuelling theories that hormones play a role in developing their sexuality. The latest research, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Madrid on Monday, came from a clinic which is one of only two in the UK to offer fertility treatment to lesbian women. Doctors there noticed a "staggering" number of lesbian women, who, on investigation, were found to be suffering either from polycystic ovary syndrome, or a less serious but related condition in which their ovaries showed many of the same...

Estrogen-progestin pills may cause an aggressive form of breast cancer and make it harder to find tumors until they have reached a later, less-curable stage, according to one of the biggest, most authoritative analyses yet. The study is part of a run of bad news recently about the hormones routinely taken by millions of women after menopause. "Hopefully, it will convince women to reconsider," said Dr. Susan Hendrix of Wayne State University in Detroit, a co-author of the new analysis. "We've got to find a better way to help women with their menopausal symptoms." Some previous studies suggested breast tumors...

Pennsylvania taxpayers are paying for hormone treatments to help an imprisoned child rapist become a woman. Inmate Jessica Elaine Wolfe, who had her name legally changed from James Elliot Wolfe Jr., is serving a five- to-15 year sentence for raping a 9-year-old girl in 1995. Wolfe, 39, formerly of Oakdale, is in a single cell in the protective unit at the men's state prison at Graterford, outside Philadelphia. Wolfe told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review she had always felt like a woman. "I've been this way all my life," said Wolfe, a former construction worker who fathered three children. "I've been dressing...

If this article seems too long, or you are wondering what the conservative angle is, just jump to the summary in the comment field, below. Unproven Elixir Hormone therapy tempts aging men, but its risks haven't yet been reckoned With each passing birthday, Mr. Y feels increasingly frail. His bones have grown fragile, his strength has slipped, and his muscles have given way to fat. His sex drive has waned, and his once-keen mind seems perpetually fogged. He often feels gloomy. Vigor has turned to fatigue, zest to melancholy. In body and in mind, he has grown old. While advanced...

HAMILTON, ON, April 25, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Researchers at McMaster University have found that the abortifacient injectable birth-control drug Depo-Provera caused mice to be 100 times more susceptible to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The study, published in the current issue of the Journal of Virology (2003;77:4558-4565), also found that the mice injected with the drug had a significantly weaker immune response when exposed to the virus. While spokesman for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical which manufactures Depo-Provera, were quick to condemn the study, the researchers noted that the study merely confirmed former research noting the drug increased risk...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do significantly better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer's. University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans. "Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including...

--> Hormones vs. Culture By Michael Lamb, Ph.D. The view that fathers are reluctant caregivers may be a thing of the past. New findings show that hormonal changes of parenting are not limited to mothers. The reason we haven’t discovered the hormonal changes in human fathers before now lies in a combination of scientific progress and cultural change. Early studies on rats found that males could learn to become involved fathers after prolonged exposure to their pups but did not experience any hormonal changes. The fact that these reluctant dads could learn to nurture led to the so-called bonding hypothesis....