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High-dose birth control pills linked to elevated fear in safe contexts

A new study published in Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that the use of oral contraceptives may influence how the brain regulates fear responses in safe environments. The research indicates that women who use birth control pills, particularly those with higher doses of synthetic estrogen, may experience elevated fear in safe contexts compared to women who have never used hormonal contraception. The findings also imply that these alterations in fear processing could persist for a significant period after an individual stops taking the medication.

Anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as prevalent in women as they are in men. Biological factors likely contribute to this disparity, with sex hormones acting as potential mediators. Specifically, the hormone estradiol plays a significant role in how the brain manages fear and memory.

Effective fear regulation requires the ability to distinguish between a threat and a safety signal based on the surrounding environment. For example, seeing a snake in a forest might require a fear response, while seeing a snake in a zoo enclosure should not. This process is known as contextual fear regulation.

Psychopathic women are more likely to use physical aggression

New research provides evidence that women with high levels of psychopathy are more likely to engage in physical, verbal, and indirect aggression against other women. The study indicates that while women generally favor covert competitive tactics, those with specific dark personality traits may bypass these social norms to target rivals directly. These findings were published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.

Evolutionary theory suggests that humans compete for access to romantic partners through a process known as intrasexual selection. This competition can manifest in various ways depending on the sex of the individual. For women, biological factors related to reproduction play a significant role in shaping these competitive strategies.

The theory of obligatory parental investment notes that women face higher biological costs in reproduction than men. Because women carry the fetus during gestation and often care for infants, they must protect their physical well-being to ensure the survival of their offspring. This biological reality implies that direct physical confrontation is a high-risk strategy for women.

Study links men’s higher intelligence to fewer abusive relationship behaviors

A new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences shows that men with higher general intelligence are less likely to engage in abusive or coercive behaviors toward their romantic partners. The findings suggest that cognitive ability may play a role in how men manage conflict and commitment in heterosexual relationships.

General intelligence is a broad mental capacity that influences reasoning, planning, and problem-solving. Psychology research has long established that people with higher general intelligence tend to experience better life outcomes. They generally achieve higher levels of education and earn more money. They also tend to live longer and suffer from fewer health issues.

But the relationship between intelligence and romantic success is less clear. Some data suggests that intelligent people are less likely to divorce. Other studies indicate they may have sex less frequently or choose to have fewer children. Evolutionary psychologists have debated why this might be the case.

From Single Cells to Targetable Immune Mechanisms in Congenital Heart Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

In the SURMOUNT-4 trial, 82.5% of adults with obesity regained ≥25% of initial weight lost within one year of tirzepatide withdrawal; most showed reversal of cardiometabolic improvements.

This post hoc analysis was performed on the modified intent-to-treat population, comprising all randomly assigned participants who were exposed to at least 1 dose of the study drug. The analysis only included tirzepatide-treated participants randomized to placebo who achieved 10% or more weight reduction at week 36 with the maximum tolerated dose of tirzepatide. The 10% cutoff was chosen to build an analysis population of clinically meaningful weight reduction. Most participants met this cutoff (308 of 335 participants). Only participants with a nonmissing week 36 weight measurement value and at least 1 nonmissing weight measurement value after week 36 were included in the analysis.

For the calculation of percentage of weight regain from week 36 to week 88 relative to week 36, missing weight measures at week 88 were imputed by predictions using observed data through a mixed model for repeated measures adjusted for week 0 value, week 36 value, country, sex, and maximum tolerated dose of tirzepatide at week 36. All outcomes were evaluated within each category of weight regain.

Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics (at week 0) and changes from week 0 to week 36 in clinical characteristics were assessed using descriptive summary statistics. Continuous variables were presented as means and SDs and categorical variables were presented as counts and percentages. P values for comparison among categories of weight regain from week 36 to week 88 were computed using analysis of variance in continuous data and χ2 test in categorical data.

How energy, immune and vascular changes linked to ME/CFS

The study compared whole blood samples from 61 people meeting clinical diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with samples from healthy age-and sex-matched volunteers.

White blood cells from ME/CFS patients showed evidence of ‘energy stress’ in the form of higher levels of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP), indicating reduced generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the key energy source within cells.

Profiling of immune cell populations revealed a trend toward less mature subsets of T-lymphocyte subsets, dendritic cells and natural killer cells in people with ME/CSF.

Comprehensive analysis of plasma proteins highlighted disruptions of vascular and immune homeostasis in patients with ME/CFS. Levels of proteins associated with activation of the endothelium – the innermost lining of blood vessels – and remodelling of vessel walls were higher, while levels of circulating immunoglobulin-related proteins were lower.

Although cellular energy dysfunction and altered immune profiles have been noted before in patients with ME/CFS, previous studies have often focused on a single analytical platform without looking at concurrence and interactions.

“ME/CFS is a complex disorder with undefined mechanisms, limited diagnostic tools and treatments,” said the senior author of the study. “Our findings provide further insights into the clinical and biological complexity of ME/CFS.”

Continue reading “How energy, immune and vascular changes linked to ME/CFS” | >

Prenatal caffeine exposure induces autism-like behaviors in offspring under a high-fat diet via the gut microbiota-IL-17A-brain axis

This recently published research is compelling. “Microbiota-IL-17A-brain axis… induced ASD” both in and out of the womb has been our focus in learning about injury. ‘’ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323013015 Interesting to see differences related to sex given much higher ASD rates in males, though that ratio has changed over the years.

You may be able to guess what kinds of things can affect microbiota-IL-17A-brain axis in infants, leading to neutrophil activity and brain inflammation in context of gut dysbiosis, a microbial predisposition to adverse reaction and injury. No research is published on this dynamic. Zero. microbiomevaccinesafetyproject Note: this is also the pathway explaining fever reducing symptoms in autism, a double-edged sword. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3ZjUoV8k/

Prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) is a significant contributor to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in offspring, which has been linked to an increased susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) later in life. Additionally, a high-fat diet (HFD) has been shown to exacerbate ASD-like behaviors, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we first noted in the rat model of IUGR induced by PCE that male PCE offspring exhibited typical ASD-like behaviors post-birth, in contrast to their female counterparts. The female PCE offspring demonstrated only reduced abilities in free exploration and spatial memory. Importantly, both male and female PCE offspring displayed ASD-like behaviors when exposed to HFD.

Women are better at recognizing illness in faces compared to men, study finds

Most people have either been told that they don’t look well when they were sick, or thought that someone else looked ill at some point in their lives. People often use nonverbal facial cues, such as drooping eyelids and pale lips, to detect illness in others, potentially to prevent infection in themselves. A new study, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, finds that women are more sensitive to these subtle cues than men.

In past studies, participants have been asked to rate signs of illness in the faces of others, but some of these studies used manipulated photos or people who had artificially induced sicknesses in the photos. In the new study, the team wanted to see whether naturally sick individuals would be rated as sick-looking, or as having an expression of “lassitude,” by other individuals and whether the recognition differed by sex.

To do this, the team recruited 280 undergraduate students, of which 140 were male and 140 were female, to rate 24 photos. The photos consisted of 12 different faces in times of sickness and health.

Association Between Choroid Plexus Morphological Alterations, Alzheimer Pathologies, and Cognitive ImpairmentA Longitudinal Study

Question What are the main predictors for high health care costs among patients with head and neck cancer?

Findings In this population-based cohort study, advanced cancer stage and receiving multiple treatment modalities were the strongest predictors of high health care costs. Female sex, older age, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with an increased likelihood for high health care costs, although with a weaker effect size.

Meaning Future research should focus on evaluating screening strategies and early diagnosis to assess their potential effects on cost reduction and improved outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer.

Psoriasis rates rise globally, with highest burden in wealthier regions

Researchers in China report that global incidence rates of psoriasis rose slightly from 1990 to 2021 and are projected to continue rising for both men and women through 2050.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that continues to impose a growing global burden. Understanding the rate of increase is critical for informing public health strategies, improving health care access, and supporting early diagnosis worldwide.

In the study, “Global Psoriasis Burden and Forecasts to 2050,” published as a Research Letter in JAMA Dermatology, researchers used a time-series forecasting analysis to project global psoriasis incidence through 2050 and to address age, sex, and regional differences in burden.

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