September: Contraceptive pill explains falls in ovarian cancer

It’s generally agreed that the pill offers protection against ovarian cancer. In September we got a better idea of just how strong this effect is, as a study published in Annals of Oncology looked back at the potential cases prevented since the pill was introduced in the 1960s. Between 2002 and 2012, the rate of ovarian cancer fell dramatically in the EU, US and Oceania, with deaths falling 10% in 28 EU countries.

The declines were particularly marked in countries such as the UK (22%), Denmark (24%) and the USA (18%), where the pill was more widely used after its introduction in the early 60’s.

“There are noticeable differences between countries such as Britain, Sweden and Denmark, where more women started to take oral contraceptives earlier – from the 1960s onwards – and countries in Eastern Europe, but also in some other Western and Southern European countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece, where oral contraceptive use started much later and was less widespread,” said lead researcher Professor La Vecchia.

The effects were also more pronounced in younger and middle aged women compared to older women. “This is possibly due to the fact that women who are middle-aged or elderly now were less likely to use oral contraceptives when they were young,” he added.

 Media headlines causing a buzz:

Making babies without eggs may be possible, say scientists (BBC)

Testosterone could treat prostate cancer (The Times)

Common contraceptive hormone could protect women from flu (The Telegraph)

First ‘three person baby’ born using new method (BBC)

 

October: The pill and depression

October was a busy month for reproductive endocrinology. Scientists found evidence that ovaries can grow new eggs and we came a step closer to a male contraceptive injection. However, the story causing the biggest stir was an association between use of hormonal contraceptives and depression. Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the study showed that women who used hormonal contraception were more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant, and to be diagnosed with depression.

In a statement widely covered by the media, Society member Dr Channa Jayasena said: “This study raises important questions about the pill. In over a million Danish women, depression was associated with contraceptive pill use. The study does not prove (and does not claim) that the pill plays any role in the development of depression. However, we know hormones play a hugely important role in regulating human behaviour.”

“Given the enormous size of this study, further work is needed to see if these results can be repeated in other populations, and to determine possible biological mechanisms which might underlie any possible link between the pill and depression. Until then, women should not be deterred from taking the pill,” he added.

 

Media headlines causing a buzz:

Evidence suggests women’s ovaries can grow new eggs (The Guardian)

Male contraceptive jab ‘effective’, but side effects are common (NHS Choices, Bazian)

Zika virus could cause infertility in men, new study suggests (The Telegraph)

Prostate cancer sufferers who have hormone treatment ‘double’ their risk of dementia ( Daily Mirror)

Researchers discover the role of hormone in ‘creating fat’ (NHS Choices)

Boys conceived through IVF technique have lower than average fertility (The Guardian)

 

November: Yoyo dieting might not be your fault

While you were at the Society’s 70^th annual conference in Brighton, you may have missed a study in Nature that provides some understanding into why people often regain weight after weight loss, and why yo-yo dieting is so ineffective. It appears that stubborn gut bacteria may retain a “memory” of obesity.

Scientists created a yo-yo dieting mouse model, which was cycled from high fat chow to low fat chow continuously, leading to cycles of weight gain and weight loss in the mice.

“As observed in recurrently dieting humans, a preceding obesity-weight loss cycle rendered mice susceptible to accelerated secondary weight gain, even after fully returning to baseline weight,”

The mice which had been on the “yo-yo” diet gained even more weight than mice which had eaten the high fat food the entire time. When the altered “yo-yo” gut microbiome was transferred into healthy mice on a normal diet the mice showed accelerated weight gain, which suggests the altered gut microbiome is causing the accelerated weight gain. So unfortunately, even if you lose weight, your guy microbiome might make it more difficult to keep the weight off – but it is possible! The researchers said that eventually, the microbiome goes back to normal, but this could take months, even years in humans.

 

Media headlines causing a buzz:

Infections not antibiotics may be tied to childhood obesity (New York Times)

Zika virus — concerns for male fertility (Nature)

Discovery of alcohol-regulating hormone could lead to pill which prevents cravings (The Telegraph)

 

December: Hydrocortisone price hike

This new story really got endocrinologists talking. Actavis, producer of hydrocortisone tablets, has been accused of overcharging the NHS after hiking prices from 70p per pack to £88. The accusation comes one week after Pfizer was given an £84.2m fine for similar price hikes for an epilepsy drug.

In 2008 Actavis gained the right to make generic hydrocortisone tablets which are not subject to price regulation.

“We allege that the company has taken advantage of this situation and the removal of the drug from price regulation, leaving the NHS – and ultimately the taxpayer – footing the bill for the substantial price rises,” said the Competition and Markets Authority senior responsible officer Andrew Groves.

Hydrocortisone is a life-saving drug for patients with Addison’s disease, where the body does not produce enough steroid hormone.

Normally only patent drugs are subject to price regulation. When patents expire, and other companies can create generic versions, the competition between competitors keeps prices low. In this case, lack of competitors meant prices could be elevated.

“This is a lifesaving drug relied on by thousands of patients, which the NHS has no choice but to continue purchasing,” said Andrew Groves.

 

Media headlines causing a buzz:

Pregnancy alters woman’s brain ‘for at least two years’ (BBC)

Some baby teething toys may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals (Washington Post)

Prostate cancer sufferer ‘cured’ by blasting tumours with testosterone (The Independent)

Exercise boosts men’s sperm count (BBC)

Babies made from three people approved in UK (BBC)

Autism linked to vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy, researchers find (The Guardian)