Stress, Androgens Shape Pubescent Development Timing in Girls

THURSDAY, April 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- High levels of stress, body mass index (BMI), and certain hormones are linked to earlier puberty in girls, according to a study published online April 7 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.Lauren C. Houghton, Ph.D., from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues identified steroid metabolome patterns linked to accelerated puberty and tested whether BMI and stress markers modify this relationship. The analysis included data from 327 girls (aged 5 to 13 years) participating in the LEGACY Girls Study.The researchers found that during six years of follow-up, accelerated thelarche was associated with higher prepubertal urinary metabolites of glucocorticoids (hazard ratio [HR], 1.9), androgens (HR, 3.9), and progesterone (HR, 6.7). The combination of high glucocorticoid metabolites and high BMI and stress was associated with thelarche seven months earlier than in peers with low measures."Stress-reducing interventions and healthy lifestyle changes may help delay early puberty and improve long-term health outcomes," Houghton said in a statement. "Because early puberty is linked to increased breast cancer risk later in life, the results have important implications for both pediatric care and public health."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Stress, Androgens Shape Pubescent Development Timing in Girls

Related Stories