The National Institutes of Health announced on Wednesday that a study it funded linked higher brown fat activity to lower anxiety and depression in over 100,000 patients. The study identified a link between higher brown fat activity and psychiatric health for the first time.

Researchers analyzed medical records and imaging from more than 100,000 patients using artificial intelligence techniques. The analysis linked higher brown fat activity to improved cardiovascular health, with increased brown fat activity in the armpit depot most strongly tied to cardiometabolic health.

The research also examined the blood-pressure drug losartan, which belongs to the drug class known as angiotensin receptor blockers and is commonly prescribed for high blood pressure. The study demonstrated that losartan boosts brown adipose tissue activity in mice. Losartan increased metabolic activity in brown fat cells through molecular interactions separate from its blood-pressure lowering mechanisms. Healthy mice treated with losartan showed increased energy expenditure, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide production while maintaining steady body weight.