Women taking popular weight-loss medications during their reproductive years may be unaware of associated risks to pregnancy and unborn babies, warn Flinders University researchers.
A new study has revealed that most Australian women of reproductive age prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists — medications increasingly used for weight loss such as Ozempic — are not using effective contraception, despite known risks during pregnancy.
Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the research analyzed data from over 1.6 million women aged 18 to 49 who attended general practices between 2011 and 2022. Of the 18,010 women who were first prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists during that time, only 21% had reported using contraception.
Originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists have gained popularity for their appetite-suppressing and weight-loss effects, with the study finding that most prescriptions are now issued to women without diabetes.
Lead author and pharmacist, Associate Professor Luke Grzeskowiak, says that in 2022 alone, more than 6,000 women began treatment on GLP-1s, and over 90% of those did not have a diabetes diagnosis.
“We’re seeing widespread use of these medications among women of childbearing age, but very little evidence that contraception is being considered as part of routine care,” says Associate Professor Grzeskowiak from the College of Medicine and Public Health.
“These medications can be incredibly helpful, but they’re not risk-free, especially during pregnancy.”
The study found that 2.2% of women became pregnant within six months of starting GLP-1 treatment with pregnancy rates highest among younger women with diabetes, and among women without diabetes in their early thirties.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome were twice as likely to conceive, suggesting that weight loss may improve fertility, even when unintended.
Importantly, women who were using contraception at the time of prescribing had a significantly lower risk of pregnancy.
A previous review of animal studies from the University of Amsterdam linked GLP-1 exposure during pregnancy to reduced fetal growth and skeletal abnormalities, and while human data is limited, the potential risks remain concerning.
“Whilst the UK advises that women using GLP-1 receptor agonists should avoid pregnancy and use effective contraception, this advice is not being followed consistently in Australian clinical practice,” says Associate Professor Grzeskowiak.
“We need to ensure that reproductive health is part of every conversation when these drugs are prescribed to any women of childbearing age.
“It is also vitally important that we have clearer practice recommendations and guidelines for those prescribing GLP-1s to women to ensure their safe and effective use.

“Our advice is to speak to your GP about the risks and benefits of GLP-1 medicines before taking them, and only take those prescribed by a healthcare professional.”
The authors say that further studies evaluating the impact of these medications on pregnancy and unborn babies are warranted.
Acknowledgements: Luke Grzeskowiak receives salary support from a Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation Fellowship (CRF-210323). We also acknowledge the contributions of members of the SPHERE Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care (SPHERE 2.0 CRE), which is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP2024717).

35 minutes agoShareSaveDominic HughesGlobal Health correspondentShareSaveGetty ImagesFor the first time, there are more children in the world who are obese than underweight, according to a major study by children’s charity Unicef.Around one in 10 of those aged between five and 19 years old – around 188 million children and young people – are now thought to be affected by obesity. Researchers blame a shift from traditional diets to ones heavily reliant on ultra-processed foods that are relatively cheap and high in calories. Unicef, an agency of the United Nations, is urging governments to protect children’s diets from unhealthy ingredients and stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions.Overweight and malnourished When health experts used to refer to malnourished children, that was often read as those who were underweight. Not any more – that term now also refers to the impact of obesity on the health and development of children. Even in poorer countries that is now a real concern. Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than a healthy weight for their age, sex and height. Obesity is a severe form of being overweight, and is linked to a higher risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, in later life.Throughout childhood, good nutrition, including plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein, plays a vital role in growth, cognitive development and mental health. But many traditional diets are being displaced by ultra-processed foods, often high in sugar, starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives. Unicef executive director Catherine Russell says the challenges posed by obesity should not be under-estimated. She said it’s “a growing concern” that can affect the health and development of children.1 in 10 are now obeseUndernutrition – which can manifest itself as wasting and stunting – remains a significant problem in the under-fives in many low and middle income countries.But the latest data from Unicef – a study that draws on data from more than 190 countries – finds the prevalence of underweight children aged 5-19 has declined since 2000, from nearly 13% to 9.2%.Obesity rates however have increased from 3% to 9.4%, meaning that almost one in 10 children are now obese. The number of overweight children – which includes those who are obese – has also increased to the extent that now 1 in five school-age children and adolescents are overweight.That’s roughly 391 million children across the globe, the study estimates.Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions of the world, except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.The highest rates of obesity among children and young people are found in some of the Pacific Island states, including Niue (38%), the Cook Islands (37%), and Nauru (33%).But many high-income countries also face a serious obesity problem. Among 5-19 year olds, 27% are obese in Chile, 21% in the United States, and 21% in the United Arab Emirates.Unicef’s Catherine Russell says: “In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the existence of stunting and obesity. “This requires targeted interventions. “Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. “We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children.”Call to actionUnicef warns that the health impacts and economic costs of doing nothing are potentially enormous.The report estimates that by 2035, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity is expected to surpass US$4 trillion (£2.95 trillion) annually.It urges governments to take action, including on the labelling and marketing of food.That might include legal measures to protect children’s diets by removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens, introducing taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks and encouraging food producers to make changes to products – known as reformulation – to limit unhealthy ingredients and harmful substitutes.The report also calls for policy making to be protected from interference by the ultra-processed food industry.Ultra-processed food and drink producers could be banned from involvement in developing and implementing policy and any industry political lobbying would have to be officially reported.

15 minutes agoShareSaveFergus WalshMedical Editor, BBC NewsShareSaveGetty ImagesMore than 1,000 people across the UK with suspected dementia are to be offered a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease which it is hoped could revolutionise diagnosis of the disease.The blood test can detect biomarkers for rogue proteins which accumulate in the brains of patients with the condition and will be used in addition to pen and paper cognitive tests, which often misdiagnose it in its early stages.Scientists leading the trial at University College London believe the blood test will improve the accuracy of diagnosis from 70% to more than 90% and want to see how that helps patients and clinicians.Patients will be recruited at 20 memory clinics as part of the study, which aims to see how well the test works within the NHS.Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the build-up in the brain of two rogue proteins – amyloid and tau – which can accumulate for up to 20 years before symptoms emerge.The new blood test, which costs around £100, measures a biomarker called p-tau217, which reflects the presence of both proteins.Previously, the only way to confirm Alzheimer’s was by specialist PET brain scans and lumbar punctures to extract cerebrospinal fluid.However, these “gold standard” tests are not part of routine Alzheimer’s diagnosis and only 2% of patients ever receive them.Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Our recent Lived Experience Survey revealed that only a third of people with dementia felt their experience of the diagnosis process was positive, while many reported being afraid of receiving a diagnosis.”As a result, too often, dementia is diagnosed late, limiting access to support, treatment and opportunities to plan ahead.”Now, the Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Plasma p-tau217 (ADAPT) trial has begun recruitment at a memory clinic in Essex, with 19 additional specialist NHS centres planned to be involved across the UK.The study is being led by scientists at University College London, and is supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.BBC NewsJonathan Schott, professor of neurology at University College London and chief medical officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK said he was “thrilled” to welcome participants onto the ADAPT trial.He described the trial as “a critical part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge, which we hope will take us a step forward in revolutionising the way we diagnose dementia.”Half the participants in the study will receive their blood tests results within three months while the others will be told after 12 months.The study team will establish whether providing results earlier helps speed up diagnosis, guides decisions about further investigations, and influences how both patients and doctors interpret and respond to the results.The impact of blood test results on quality of life will also be measured.If the trial is deemed successful, the blood test could become a standard part of Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This will be crucial in years to come as a raft of new drugs to combat early-stage disease are in the final stages of clinical trials.’Gamechanger’BBC NewsSteven Pidwell, 71, from north London, says an accurate, rapid blood test for Alzheimer’s, combined with new treatments, would be a “gamechanger” for families affected by the condition.His partner of more than 50 years, Rachel Hawley, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease almost a decade ago.Steven told the BBC: “I think it would mean everybody’s idea of Alzheimer’s would change. We would treat Alzheimer’s more like having a disability, rather than sort of a curse, and something we can’t talk about.”A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can be devastating but the couple say they refuse to let the disease spoil their time together.Rachel, 72, said: “I think I still have a very happy life, and am very lucky in all sorts of ways.”The couple were part of a group of patients with lived experience of Alzheimer’s, who helped researchers at UCL design the trial and the feedback to potential volunteers.The team at UCL expect to have results in around three years.More on this story

ADVANCE RESEARCH

Vaccine Injury

HHS, in collaboration with NIH, will investigate vaccine injuries with improved data collection and analysis, including through a new vaccine injury research program at the NIH Clinical Center that may expand to centers around the country.

Water Quality

The EPA and USDA, along with other relevant Federal partners and in collaboration with NIH, will assess ongoing evaluations of water contaminants and update guidance and prioritizations of certain contaminants appropriately. For example, EPA will review new scientific information on the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water to inform Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. Additionally, USDA, through its Research, Education, and Economics mission area, in consultation with the Farm Production and Conservation mission area, will continue research on ways to improve water quality and adoption of applicable conservation practices. Agency research could also include research to inform the understanding of levels of pharmaceuticals in our water supply that could be adversely affecting animal and human health.

Air Quality

The EPA and NIH will study air quality impacts on children’s health and utilize existing research programs to improve data collection and analysis.

Microplastics and Synthetics

HHS, in collaboration with NIH and EPA, will complete an evaluation of the risks and exposures of microplastics and synthetics, including in common products such as textiles.

Prescribing Patterns and Impact on Mental Health

HHS (inclusive of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, FDA, NIH, and CMS) will form a mental health diagnosis and prescription working group to evaluate prescription patterns for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and other relevant drugs for children. HHS will also evaluate the therapeutic harms and benefits of current diagnostic thresholds, overprescription trends, and evidence-based solutions that can be scaled-up to improve mental health, including through school-based interventions, diet, and foster care services. NIH will conduct research as appropriate. FDA will update labels for older, generic drugs to better reflect the latest science.

Food for Health

HHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and USDA will study the impact of programs that implement food and lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes and decrease costs. The NIH Office of Nutrition will coordinate research initiatives to improve rigorous studies and maximize impact, including through large- scale randomized control trials.

Nutrition

NIH will partner with FDA, USDA, and the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) to conduct high- quality nutrition research and ingredient assessments. As part of this effort, NIH will expand research on dietary patterns that support metabolic health. NIH and HHS will take steps to fully utilize the newly created FDA and NIH Joint Nutrition Regulatory Science Program. USDA will prioritize precision nutrition research,

MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN

MAHA

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

5

11 minutes agoShareSaveFaarea Masud & Connie BowkerBBC NewsShareSaveMitchumA well-known deodorant brand has apologised and recalled some of its roll-on products after customers were reportedly left with itchy, burning armpits.Consumers of Mitchum’s 48-hour roll-on anti-perspirant and deodorant complained on social media of being left with “agonising weeping spots”, redness and irritation after using the product.Posting on TikTok, one customer claimed she wanted to “rip my armpits out”, while another said her underarms felt like they were “on fire”.The company said it was “truly sorry” and explained how a change in the manufacturing process had led to the 100ml batches sold in the UK, Ireland and South Africa being affected and recalled.Hundreds have taken to sharing videos of their experience on TikTok.One woman said she was unable to sleep after using the roll-on because it left her with “second degree chemical burns on my armpits”.Another described her underarm skin as developing a pink rash which had “scabbed over”.A third said she was left in agony because of “weeping spots” under her arm.”I won’t be using any Mitchum products again because I’m not risking this happening again,” she said.A Mitchum spokesperson said the brand was “truly sorry some of our customers have experienced temporary irritation”.In a statement, the company said: “We want to reassure there has been no change to the formula of our products, but we have identified a change in the manufacturing process affecting one of our raw materials. “This has impacted how the roll-on interacts with the skin of some users.”It did not give details of what the change to its manufacturing process was but said the issue had since been resolved and it was working to “remove the small amount of product” left in shops.”In addition, we have reverted to the original manufacturing process to ensure no other batches are affected,” the spokesperson said.Mitchum advised all those affected to contact its customer services team so it could “make this right”.The firm has issued a list of all the affected 100ml roll-on products. These are:Powder FreshShower FreshUnscentedPure Fresh Flower FreshIce FreshClean Control Sport

The disposable vape ban is designed to reduce environmental damage and protect children’s health.

New league tables rating the performance of NHS trusts in England have been published for the first time, with specialist hospitals taking the top slots.Number one is Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, followed by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust and cancer centre the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.At the bottom is Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, which has had major problems with its buildings because of structural weaknesses and the need for props to hold up ceilings. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the tables would help inform the public and allow them to exercise choice – but trusts have questioned whether they were using the right metrics.The rankings score NHS trusts on seven different areas including waiting times for operations, cancer treatment, time spent in A&E and ambulance response times. Their finances are also assessed, and it is possible that a hospital rated highly for clinical care will be marked down if they are running up a larger than expected deficit.They are then sorted into four categories, the first of which reflecting the best performers and the last listing the worst.The public will be able to use the league tables check the performance of their local hospital, ambulance service or mental health trust.For instance, Moorfields in London tops the list of trusts with a score of 1.39, while the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has a score of 3.35.A spokesperson for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital said: “Our patients deserve the highest standards of care, and we are sorry that in some of our performance areas… we have fallen short. Immediate steps are being taken to address the issues.”The Countess of Chester hospital, in north-west England, came second to last. The hospital had its emergency services department rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission last month. Streeting told BBC Breakfast that the league tables would “help to hold me to account and help me hold to account the performance of NHS leaders across the country”.Trusts in England will be ranked every three months – with the top performers given more power over how they spend their money and those lower down encouraged to learn from the best trusts and receive support from national officials.But NHS Providers, which represents trusts, said there were questions over whether the league tables were accurately identifying the best performing organisations.Chief executive Daniel Elkeles said: “For league tables to really drive up standards, tackle variations in care, and boost transparency, they need to measure the right things, be based on accurate, clear and objective data and avoid measuring what isn’t in individual providers’ gift to improve.”He added that anything less could have unintended consequences that might affect patients’ confidence in their local health services.The Department of Health said that from next year the best performing trusts would have more freedom to develop services around local needs – while those underperforming would receive “enhanced support” but their bosses could also have pay reduced.The highest rated leaders will be offered bigger pay packets in exchange for attempting to turn around struggling trusts.Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think tank, said it was understandable that the government was focussed on winning back public trust but added a note of caution.”There’s a risk that trusts will focus only on the measures that immediately boost their ranking, even if it’s not necessarily best for patients,” she said. “As finances have a particular sway on the rankings, this is of limited use for patients trying to choose the best hospital for their care.”Chris McCann from Healthwatch England said any league table must inform instead of confuse people. “It will be essential that the new dashboard clearly communicates the information that is most important to patients and that it is as accessible as possible,” he said. From next summer, the tables will be expanded to cover integrated care boards, which are responsible for planning health services at a local level.Streeting singled out for praise Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which was the highest ranking non-specialist NHS trust and ninth overall.He said the trust had been able to integrate its A&E response with community services so people could receive care at home, keeping appointments free for planned operations and procedures.

Humans could learn a thing or two from orangutans when it comes to maintaining a balanced, protein-filled diet.
Great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are marvels of adaptation to the vagaries of food supply in the wild, according to an international team of researchers led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientist. The critically endangered primates outshine modern humans in avoiding obesity through their balanced choices of food and exercise, the scientists found.
The researchers reported their findings, based on 15 years of firsthand observations of wild orangutans in the jungles of Borneo, in Science Advances.
“These findings show how wild Bornean orangutans adapt to changes in their environment by adjusting their nutrient intake, behavior and energy use,” said Erin Vogel, the Henry Rutgers Term Chair Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts and Sciences, who led the study. “The work highlights the importance of understanding natural dietary patterns and their impact on health, both for orangutans and humans.”
Orangutans are one of the closest living relatives to humans, sharing a common ancestor, Vogel said. This evolutionary relationship means that orangutans and humans have similar physiological and metabolic processes, dietary needs and behavioral adaptations. Studying orangutans can provide insights into the evolutionary adaptations that might also be relevant to humans, she said.
Humans also exhibit metabolic flexibility, Vogel said, but modern diets high in processed foods can disrupt this balance, leading to metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
While orangutans reduce physical activity during low fruit periods to conserve energy, Vogel said, humans, especially those with sedentary lifestyles, may not adjust their energy expenditure to match their caloric intake, leading to weight gain and associated health issues.

“Understanding these adaptations can help us learn more about how humans can manage their diets and health,” Vogel said. “It also highlights the importance of conserving orangutan habitats to ensure their survival.”
The research was conducted at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in the Mawas Conservation Area in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. The conservation area, a peat swamp forest, protects about 764,000 acres, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. Peat forests are richly biodiverse, ancient ecosystems with landscapes dominated by waterlogged trees that grow on layers of dead leaves and plant material.
Understanding the dietary strategies of orangutans can inform better nutritional practices for humans, said Vogel, who also is director of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at Rutgers.
“In essence, the research on orangutans underscores the importance of dietary balance and metabolic flexibility, which are crucial for maintaining health in both orangutans and humans,” Vogel said. “It suggests that modern dietary habits, characterized by high consumption of processed foods rich in sugars and fats, can lead to metabolic imbalances and health issues.”
In earlier studies, Vogel and an international team of colleagues established the patterns by which orangutans fed. Orangutans prefer to eat fruit because it is rich in carbohydrates, but when fruit is scarce, they switch to eating more leaves, bark and other foods that can provide more protein but fewer sugary carbohydrates. In times of high fruit availability, orangutans still consume protein but get most of their energy from carbohydrates and fats in the fruit.
“We wanted to find out how their bodies handle these changes,” Vogel said. “We tested how the availability of fruit affects their diet and how their bodies adapt to avoid energy imbalance. We looked at how they switch between different types of fuel – like fats and proteins – when preferred food availability changes.”
To conduct the study, Vogel, research colleagues, students and a staff that mostly included field technicians indigenous to the island of Borneo collected data for more than a decade on what the orangutans ate daily and analyzed their urine to see how their bodies responded to any nutritional changes. This required staying in close proximity to the ape in the equatorial, humid jungle from dawn until night.

The scientists made a number of key findings: Orangutans avoid obesity as part of a response to the significant fluctuations – in both magnitude and duration – in fruit availability in their natural habitat. Unlike humans in Western culture, who have constant access to high-calorie foods, orangutans experience periods of both abundance and scarcity. The periods of scarcity and resulting low caloric intake, similar to humans’ intermittent fasting, may help maintain their health by reducing oxidative stress. During periods of fruit scarcity, orangutans exhibit metabolic flexibility, switching to using stored body fat and muscle protein for energy. This allows them to survive when food is scarce. During periods of fruit scarcity, orangutans exhibit behavioral adaptability, relying on reduced physical activity as well as stored energy and muscles to conserve energy. They rest more, go to sleep earlier, travel less and spend less time with other orangutans. This flexibility enables them to use body fat and protein for fuel when needed. They rebuild fat reserves and muscle when fruit availability is high. The orangutan diet also prioritizes a consistent level of protein, which contrasts with a modern Western diet, which often can be rich in low-cost, energy-dense, protein-poor foods. Those choices contribute to obesity and metabolic diseases in humans.This research builds on a report published earlier this year in The American Journal of Biological Anthropology, led by doctoral student Will Aguado, as the first author. This study found that orangutans at Tuanan get most of their protein from the leaves and seeds of just one out of nearly 200 species in the diet — a vine called Bowringia callicarpa. The protein in this plant fuels orangutans through seasons of fruit scarcity and likely allows orangutans at Tuanan to persist and for their population to grow.
Other scientists on the study from Rutgers included Malcolm Watford, a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; and former Rutgers doctoral student Rebecca Brittain, Tatang Mitra-Setia and Sri Suci Utami from Universitas Nasional in Indonesia, graduate students William Aguado, Astri Zulfa and Alysse Moldawer, all with the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts and Sciences. Former graduate student Timothy Bransford, who also contributed to the study, is now at Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Researchers from the following institutions also contributed to the study: The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz in Germany; Yale University; Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland; the University of Cincinnati; the University of Colorado; Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Universitas Nasional in Jakarta, Indonesia; National Research and Innovation Agency in Cibinong-Bogor, Indonesia; University of Zurich in Switzerland; Hunter College of the City University of New York; and the University of Sydney in Australia.

Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution may worsen Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by accelerating the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain and speeding up cognitive decline. For the first time, post-mortem tissue from people with AD revealed that those who lived in areas with higher concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air even just one year had more severe accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles — hallmarks of Alzheimer’s pathology — compared to those with less exposure. These individuals also experienced faster cognitive and functional decline, including memory loss, impaired judgment, and difficulty with personal care, according to research published today (September 8) in JAMA Neurologyfrom the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
“This study shows that air pollution doesn’t just increase the risk of dementia — it actually makes Alzheimer’s disease worse,” said Edward Lee, MD, PhD, co-director of Penn’s Institute on Aging. “As researchers continue to search for new treatments, it’s important to uncover all of the factors that contribute to the disease, including the influence of the environment in which they live.”
Health risks from tiny air particles
Air pollution is made up of fine particulate matter, or the tiny, inhalable particles, ranging from 10 micrometers to less than 2.5 micrometers wide, about half the width of a single strand of spider web. It can come from wildfire smoke, car exhaust, construction site debris, or combustion from factories. Particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller (PM2.5) is so small that when inhaled, the particles can be absorbed into the blood stream and cause health concerns. Previous research has linked air pollution containing PM2.5 with dementia, loss of cognitive function, and accelerated cognitive decline.
The researchers examined brain samples from over 600 autopsies from the Penn Medicine Brain Bank. Using data from satellites and local air quality monitors, the researchers modeled the amount of PM2.5 in the air based on where each person lived. They found that for every increase of 1 microgram per cubic meter of PM2.5, the risk for worse Alzheimer’s disease amyloid and tau buildup increased by 19 percent.
Further, when they examined the clinical records of these individuals, researchers found that those who lived in areas with high concentrations of PM2.5 with advanced pathology also had greater cognitive impairment and more rapid onset of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty with speech, and diminished judgement, compared to people who lived in areas with lower concentrations of air pollution.
While this study focused on exposures to PM2.5 based on geographic location, researchers acknowledgethat they could not account for individual-specific exposures to air pollution, such as exposure to second-hand smoke in the home, or working with potentially dangerous chemicals.
“In the United States, air pollution is at the lowest levels in decades, but even just a year living in an area with high levels of pollution can have a big impact on a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lee. “It underscores the value of environmental justice efforts that focus on reducing air pollution to improve public health.”
This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30AG072979, P01AG066597, U19AG062418, P01AG084497, and P30ES013508).

As every bodybuilder knows, a deep, restful sleep boosts levels of growth hormone to build strong muscle and bone and burn fat. And as every teenager should know, they won’t reach their full height potential without adequate growth hormone from a full night’s sleep.
But why lack of sleep — in particular the early, deep phase called non-REM sleep — lowers levels of growth hormone has been a mystery.
In a study published in the current issue of the journal Cell, researchers from University of California, Berkeley, dissect the brain circuits that control growth hormone release during sleep and report a novel feedback mechanism in the brain that keeps growth hormone levels finely balanced.
The findings provide a map for understanding how sleep and hormone regulation interact. The new feedback mechanism could open avenues for treating people with sleep disorders tied to metabolic conditions like diabetes, as well as degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
“People know that growth hormone release is tightly related to sleep, but only through drawing blood and checking growth hormone levels during sleep,” said study first author Xinlu Ding, a postdoctoral fellow in UC Berkeley’s Department of Neuroscience and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute. “We’re actually directly recording neural activity in mice to see what’s going on. We are providing a basic circuit to work on in the future to develop different treatments.”
Because growth hormone regulates glucose and fat metabolism, insufficient sleep can also worsen risks for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The sleep-wake cycle
The neurons that orchestrate growth hormone release during the sleep-wake cycle — growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) neurons and two types of somatostatin neurons — are buried deep in the hypothalamus, an ancient brain hub conserved in all mammals. Once released, growth hormone increases the activity of neurons in the locus coeruleus, an area in the brainstem involved in arousal, attention, cognition and novelty seeking. Dysregulation of locus coeruleus neurons is implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurological disorders.

“Understanding the neural circuit for growth hormone release could eventually point toward new hormonal therapies to improve sleep quality or restore normal growth hormone balance,” said Daniel Silverman, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow and study co-author. “There are some experimental gene therapies where you target a specific cell type. This circuit could be a novel handle to try to dial back the excitability of the locus coeruleus, which hasn’t been talked about before.”
The researchers, working in the lab of Yang Dan, a professor of neuroscience and of molecular and cell biology, explored the neuroendocrine circuit by inserting electrodes in the brains of mice and measuring changes in activity after stimulating neurons in the hypothalamus with light. Mice sleep for short periods — several minutes at a time — throughout the day and night, providing many opportunities to study growth hormone changes during sleep-wake cycles.
Using state-of-the-art circuit tracing, the team found that the two small-peptide hormones that control the release of growth hormone in the brain — GHRH, which promotes release, and somatostatin, which inhibits release — operate differently during REM and non-REM sleep. Somatostatin and GHRH surge during REM sleep to boost growth hormone, but somatostatin decreases and GHRH increases only moderately during non-REM sleep to boost growth hormone.
Released growth hormone regulates locus coeruleus activity, as a feedback mechanism to help create a homeostatic yin-yang effect. During sleep, growth hormone slowly accumulates to stimulate the locus coeruleus and promote wakefulness, the new study found. But when the locus coeruleus becomes overexcited, it paradoxically promotes sleepiness, as Silverman showed in a study published earlier this year.
“This suggests that sleep and growth hormone form a tightly balanced system: Too little sleep reduces growth hormone release, and too much growth hormone can in turn push the brain toward wakefulness,” Silverman said. “Sleep drives growth hormone release, and growth hormone feeds back to regulate wakefulness, and this balance is essential for growth, repair and metabolic health.”
Because growth hormone acts in part through the locus coeruleus, which governs overall brain arousal during wakefulness, a proper balance could have a broader impact on attention and thinking.
“Growth hormone not only helps you build your muscle and bones and reduce your fat tissue, but may also have cognitive benefits, promoting your overall arousal level when you wake up,” Ding said.
The work was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), which until this year supported Dan as an HHMI investigator, and the Pivotal Life Sciences Chancellor’s Chair fund. Dan is the Pivotal Life Sciences Chancellor’s Chair in Neuroscience. Other co-authors of the paper are Peng Zhong, Bing Li, Chenyan Ma, Lihui Lu, Grace Jiang, Zhe Zhang, Xiaolin Huang, Xun Tu and Zhiyu Melissa Tian of UC Berkeley; and Fuu-Jiun Hwang and Jun Ding of Stanford University.