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Neuroimaging

Metabolic tuning during the menstrual cycle

As most studies on the action of insulin in the brain have focused on men, metabolic changes during the menstrual cycle in women remain poorly understood. Using intranasal insulin administration during hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamps and functional MRI, Hummel et al. show reduced insulin sensitivity during the luteal phase.

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Fig. 1: Intranasal administration of insulin uncovers a heightened insulin sensitivity in women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.

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Acknowledgements

I thank A. Kühnel for valuable feedback on a draft of this work. I received support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG KR 4555/7-1, KR 4555/9-1, KR 4555/10-1 and IRTG 2804.

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Correspondence to Nils B. Kroemer.

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Kroemer, N.B. Metabolic tuning during the menstrual cycle. Nat Metab 5, 1449–1451 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00867-y

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