At Frontiers, we bring some of the world’s best research to a global audience. But with tens of thousands of articles published each year, it’s impossible to cover all of them. Here are just five amazing papers on the power of hormones you may have missed.

Using phones the old-fashioned way – to make calls – could help with diabetic control

The region close to Mexico’s northern boarder is a high-risk area for type II diabetes (T2D). 12 to 18% of the population is affected but could perhaps manage their disease better by reaching for their phones.

In a new study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers in Mexico investigated how useful telemedicine is for getting people to keep their blood sugar levels from spiking or plummeting. Their study involved 287 patients with T2D receiving monthly calls over the span of a year.

At the end of the study, the number of people keeping their blood sugar levels within a desirable range had increased by 15%. Women, as well as people who received more than nine calls, benefitted the most from the intervention. The researchers wrote that this strategy could improve both patients’ self-care and healthcare services in areas where diseases such as T2D are spread widely.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1420244/full

Treating scars after a C-section could help birth outcomes

C-sections are becoming more common, and by 2030 almost every third birth could be delivered this way. Having more C-sections can have short and long-term complications, including the formation of a scar defect known as an isthmocele – a pouch that forms in the uterine wall after a C-section. Isthmoceles are associated with infertility, but can be treated, which can increase the chances of successful following pregnancies.

Writing in Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers in Switzerland conducted a review of articles examining the effect of isthmocele repair on patients with and without infertility.

The results showed that isthmocele repair had a positive effect on reproductive outcomes. One mechanism impacting better outcomes could be the prevention of abnormal bleeding that creates an environment ill-suited for embryo transfer. Isthmocele repair led to a 44% pregnancy rate and a 72% live birth rate, which could mean that while embryo implantation may be impaired, a large share of pregnancies was successful.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1507482/full

Thyroid cancer rates expected to rise by 18% until 2050

Thyroid cancer rates are rising across the globe. The disease is not only dangerous from a health perspective, but thyroid cancer patients also regularly struggle to pay for their treatments.

Now, researchers in China have used a database containing information on the risk of various diseases from more than 200 countries and found an unsettling trend: thyroid cancer rates are expected to rise by 18% until 2050 in young adults aged between 15 and 39 years. They published their results in Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Previously, thyroid cancer rates have risen 150% between 1990 and 2021, an upward trend that is expected to continue until 2050. Women, people aged 30 to 39, and people living in lower income regions are expected to be affected the most. Mortality from thyroid cancer is expected to increase at a slower rate. In regions with higher incomes, the burden of thyroid cancer is on a downward trend, the researchers wrote, which highlights geographical and income disparities.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1503144/full

High-quality muscles could help prevent urinary incontinence

Giving birth, aging, and increased or decreased hormone levels can all lead to urinary incontinence (UI) and more people are affected with each passing year. UI is associated with a number of complications, including increased cancer risk and cardiovascular disease.

Recently more studies that focus on how muscle strength impacts various diseases have been done. Now, in a recently published Frontiers in Endocrinology study, researchers in China have analyzed how muscle quality and UI are connected.

The data of more than 2,700 participants – drawn from the NHANES database in the US – showed that higher muscle quality was associated with a lower prevalence of UI. Muscle quality was obtained by dividing hand-grip strength by the muscle mass of the four limbs and categorized in one of four quartiles. The group with the highest quality muscles had a 34% reduction in UI compared to the lowest muscle quality group. The researchers said strength exercises are recommended to reduce the incidence of UI.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1533617/full

Researchers identify regions where diabetes due to air pollution is skyrocketing

Breathing dirty air can result in a number of health complications, diabetes being just one of them. Studies involving millions of people have shown that continued exposure to fine particulate matter results in an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In a new Frontiers in Endocrinology study, researchers in China, using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, explored the impact of diabetes mellitus associated with air pollution at global, regional, and national levels between 1990 and 2021.

Their findings showed that during the examined time, there was a significant upward trend in diabetes burden caused by air pollution. Populous nations like China and India had the highest average mortality rates per 100,000 persons, but countries like Honduras and Libya, too, experienced increases over the decades. Countries in Western Europe and North America saw a decline. Looking ahead, Russia, Mexico and many African nations are expected to have the highest mortality rate for both 2030 and 2050.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1475822/full

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