Health & Medicine, UK (Commonwealth Union) – Endocrine researchers have developed a groundbreaking wearable device that enables the early detection of diseases caused by imbalanced levels of stress hormones. This innovative technology allows for the measurement of changes in individuals’ stress hormones as they engage in their regular daily activities, both during the day and at night. The collaborative research, led by the University of Bristol, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Bergen, has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the stress hormone system.
Supported by a grant from the EU Horizon 2020 project, the device provides high-resolution tracking of adrenal steroid levels over an extended period of time. This comprehensive data offers valuable insights into the fluctuations of hormone levels throughout the circadian (daily) and ultradian (faster) time periods. By examining cortisol and other stress hormones, which play a vital role in maintaining overall health, researchers can now better understand how disturbances in their rhythmicity, caused by both disease and lifestyle factors, contribute to conditions such as depression, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even critical illness.
A significant challenge in the field has been the difficulty in determining what constitutes a normal hormonal rhythm in the context of everyday life. Traditional hormone tests relying on single time-point measurements fail to capture the complexities of hormonal rhythms. Consequently, this limited approach often results in delayed diagnosis and missed opportunities for timely intervention. Previously, the only way to obtain an accurate picture of hormonal patterns was through multiple blood samples obtained during hospital admission or research unit visits. However, this approach was not only time-consuming and inconvenient but also induced additional stress in patients.
With this new wearable device, researchers can now overcome these challenges and gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ hormonal rhythms in their natural environment. This advancement holds immense promise for transforming the diagnosis and treatment of stress hormone-related diseases, leading to more effective interventions and improved patient outcomes.
U-RHYTHM, a cutting-edge wearable device, has been jointly developed by scientists from the University of Bristol, in collaboration with the design expertise of Designworks Windsor. This innovative technology is made available through Dynamic Therapeutics, a spin-out company from the University of Bristol. The device, designed to be worn around the waist, offers a painless and automated sampling method that extracts samples from beneath the skin every 20 minutes, eliminating the need for blood collection. Notably, U-RHYTHM enables sampling during various daily activities, including sleep and work, for a continuous period of up to 72 hours.
In a recent publication, the study showcases the remarkable potential of the U-RHYTHM device by analyzing samples obtained from 214 healthy volunteers over a 24-hour period. By utilizing data collected at multiple time points during this duration, the research team successfully constructed adrenal hormone profiles of individuals under real-life conditions. These profiles serve as valuable references for understanding the hormone patterns of healthy individuals.
The study also involved mathematicians from the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine at the University of Birmingham. Leveraging the data obtained from U-RHYTHM, these experts developed a novel category of “dynamic markers” that enhance our understanding of what a healthy hormonal profile should resemble based on factors such as sex, age, body mass index, and other relevant characteristics of individuals.
The combination of U-RHYTHM’s advanced sampling capabilities and the development of dynamic markers paves the way for a more comprehensive and personalized approach to assessing hormonal profiles. This breakthrough holds significant promise for enhancing our understanding of hormonal health and guiding the diagnosis and treatment of stress hormone-related disorders.
Stafford Lightman, Professor of Medicine at Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences who is also a co-author on the study, says “Our results provide significant new insights into how the stress hormone system works in healthy people and emphasizes the importance of measuring change, not just sampling at single points. It also highlights the importance of measuring hormones during sleep, which has previously been impossible outside of a hospital.”
