Stress, Obesity, and Hormones May Accelerate Puberty in Girls, Suggests Study
USA: Researchers in a new longitudinal study of 327 girls have found that higher stress levels, increased body mass index (BMI), and elevated glucocorticoid (stress hormone) levels were associated with earlier onset of breast development (thelarche), a key marker of puberty. Girls with higher prepubertal stress, BMI, and glucocorticoid levels reached thelarche an average of 7.2 months earlier than their peers.
The findings suggest that both psychological stress and obesity may contribute to earlier puberty through hormonal pathways, highlighting the importance of healthy weight management and stress reduction during childhood.
The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by Lauren C. Houghton and colleagues. The researchers investigated how patterns within the steroid metabolome—a broad collection of hormone metabolites—may influence the timing of puberty in girls and whether body weight and stress modify these effects.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the six-year LEGACY Girls Study involving 327 girls aged 5–13 years. They measured 36 urinary steroid metabolites, including glucocorticoids, androgens, progesterone, and estrogens, from samples collected before and during puberty. Data on breast development, pubic hair growth, age at first menstruation, BMI, and stress levels were also collected through clinical assessments and validated parent-reported questionnaires.
The researchers reported the following findings:
- Higher prepubertal levels of glucocorticoid, androgen, and progesterone metabolites were associated with earlier onset of puberty.
- Elevated glucocorticoid metabolites were linked to a significantly higher likelihood of earlier breast development (thelarche).
- Higher androgen metabolite levels were also associated with accelerated pubertal onset.
- Progesterone metabolites showed the strongest association with earlier breast development among the hormone groups studied.
- The relationship between hormone metabolites and earlier puberty was stronger in girls with higher BMI and greater psychological stress.
- Girls with elevated glucocorticoid metabolites, high BMI, and high stress levels reached breast development approximately seven months earlier than girls with lower levels of these factors.
The findings suggest that stress-related hormonal activity and excess body weight may act together to accelerate pubertal development in girls.
The researchers noted that previous studies have largely focused on estrogen levels, age at menarche, and obesity. In contrast, the current findings suggest that stress hormones and androgens also play a significant role in determining when puberty begins, particularly the timing of breast development.
The authors noted several limitations, including potential measurement variability in hormone assessments, incomplete coverage of all estrogen metabolites, and limited generalizability due to the predominantly White study population.
The researchers concluded that higher glucocorticoid and androgen metabolite levels are linked to earlier pubertal onset, particularly in girls with elevated stress and BMI. They emphasized that promoting healthy weight, physical activity, and stress management during childhood may help support healthier pubertal development and could have broader implications for long-term women's health, including breast cancer risk.
Reference:
Houghton, L. C., Siegel, E., Wei, Y., Wudy, S. A., Hartmann, M. F., Stanczyk, F., Knight, J. A., Andrulis, I. L., Bradbury, A. R., Schwartz, L., Buys, S. S., Daly, M. B., John, E. M., Chung, W. K., Santella, R. M., Romeo, R. D., & Terry, M. B. Steroids, stress, and body mass index interact to accelerate female pubertal development. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgag086
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