Higher levels of key steroid hormones—combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)—are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University ...

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. They act on various tissues and organs in the body to change their behavior. For example, the hormone prolactin stimulates the production of breastmilk.

Adolescent girls with anorexia have increased levels of an appetite-suppressing hormone called peptide YY, which is a hormone released by the gut in response to a recently consumed meal. The more ...