- Major Women’s Health Study Supports Hormone Replacement Therapy in Early Menopause
- Organic Walnuts Tied to Serious E. Coli Illnesses
- More Than Half of Cats on Farm Where Bird Flu Infected Cows Died After Drinking Milk
- Biden Administration Could Reclassify Marijuana as Less Risky Drug
- Americans of Pacific Island Ethnicity Have Up to Triple the Rate of Cancer Deaths
- How Anger Could Raise Your Heart Risks
- EPA Clamps Down on Deadly Toxin Found in Paint Strippers
- Popular Teens (Especially Girls) May Get Less Sleep
- Years Prior to Menopause Are Danger Zone for Depression
- School Entry Rules Boost Kids’ HPV Vaccination Rates
Those Low on ‘Love Hormone’ May Have Less Empathy: Study
People with low levels of the so-called “love hormone” oxytocin may have less empathy for others, a new study suggests.
The findings hint that oxytocin replacement therapy could improve the well-being of people with low levels of the hormone, said the researchers at the University of Cardiff in Wales.
Their study included 20 people with medical conditions that cause low levels of oxytocin and a control group of 20 healthy people. Those with low oxytocin levels did much worse on tests of empathy — awareness of other people’s feelings.
The study was to be presented Sunday at the Society for Endocrinology’s annual meeting in Brighton, England.
“This is the first study which looks at low oxytocin as a result of medical, as opposed to psychological, disorders. If replicated, the results from our patient groups suggest it is also important to consider medical conditions carrying a risk of low oxytocin levels,” lead researcher Katie Daughters said in a society news release.
Oxytocin is stored in the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ in the base of the skull. People who have had pituitary surgery may be potential candidates for oxytocin replacement, the researchers suggested.
These are only preliminary results. Further research and peer-review are needed to confirm the findings.
More information
The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, has more on empathy.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.