Hormone Replacement Therapy
What Every Woman Should Know About Low Estrogen
Estrogen is the hormone most critical for supporting a woman’s overall health and well-being. Indispensable to fertility, bone health, brain functioning/cognition and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, estrogen also plays a prominent role in many degenerative, metabolic and autoimmune disorders. If you have too little or too much estrogen in your bloodstream, disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis, circulatory problems, metabolic diseases and development of benign or malignant tumors could pose a threat to your health.1
What Causes Estrogen Levels to Fall?
The primary reason women experience low estrogen (hypoestrogenism) is perimenopause and menopause.2 Suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, eating disorders or excessively exercising to the point where fat stores are nearly depleted may also decrease estrogen levels. Certain medications interfere with estrogen levels as well, such as aromatase inhibitors that are sometimes given to post-menopausal women with early stage breast cancer. After menopause, the ovaries stop making estrogen, but the body continues producing minimal amounts of estrogen by utilizing enzyme aromatase. Consequently, taking aromatase inhibitors prevent estrogen receptors from accepting and dispersing estrogen into the body.
What are Symptoms of Low Estrogen?
Classic signs of low estrogen are also signs of menopause:
- Hot flashes/night sweats
- Memory/concentration difficulties (“brain fog”)
- Vaginal drying/itching recurring infections
- Lack of interest in sex/low libido
- Mood swings/depression/irritability
- Weight gain
- Mild fluid retention
- Periodic achiness in joints and muscles
- Insomnia/disrupted sleep patterns (falling asleep and waking up a few hours later)
- Headaches/migraines
Long-term complications of low estrogen involve more serious and chronic health issues:
Heart Disease
Estrogen protects heart health by increasing levels of HDL, the “good” type of cholesterol. It also facilitates the flow of blood to the heart by dilating coronary arteries while reducing accumulation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol that can clog arteries. For women who are at risk for suffering cardiovascular diseases, a reduction in estrogen may increase their risk for heart disorders.3
Osteoporosis
Estrogen helps slow rates of calcium loss. As your estrogen levels start falling in your 40s, bone loss rates increase by as much as three percent per year. During and after menopause, women report more incidences of bone fractures as their bone mass decreases and bones become more fragile and brittle.4
Stress Incontinence
Leaking urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh or run is called stress incontinence. Estrogen loss contributes to declining strength and tone of soft tissues and muscles supporting the urethra. This makes it harder for menopausal women to stop urine flow from leaking.
Cognitive Functioning
Estrogen has neuroprotective properties that may delay or prevent declines in memory, focus and concentration.5 Some research suggests estrogen replacement may reduce a woman’s risk for having Alzheimer’s disease. Brain imaging scans of menopausal women has found estrogen loss negatively impacts formation of synapses and dendritic spines (both essential for normal signaling among brain cells). In addition, loss of estrogen decreases release of serotonin and other neurotransmitters implicated in mood, appetite, sleep and cognition.6
Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy for Estrogen Loss
Replacing hormones lost to menopause with traditional drugs like Prempro or Premarin are known to increase the risk of heart disease, blood clots, breast cancer and stroke in women over 45. Conjugated hormones like Prempro contain chemicals and estrogenic steroids taken from the urine of pregnant horses. Research indicates this type of hormone replacement does not resemble hormones produced by the body. Therefore, estrogen receptors temporarily resist accepting these hormones, which may be the underlying reason women suffer serious side effects of taking conjugated hormones.7
More women than ever are choosing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to restore healthy estrogen levels, eliminate symptoms of estrogen loss and protect their health as they age. Bioidentical hormones are derived from plant sources and mimic the molecular structure of your body’s naturally produced hormones. Because estrogen receptors readily accept bioidentical hormones, your physiological systems are not disrupted by potential inflammatory responses attributed to development of chronic and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Why not give us a call and find out more about estrogen replacement and BHRT?
Call us this week to schedule your free consultation.
References
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177.php
- https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/low-estrogen-symptoms
- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/menopause-and-heart-disease
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10091-menopause–osteoporosis
- https://practicalneurology.com/articles/2019-may/dementia-insights-cognitive-consequences-ofperimenopause
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/23/630688342/might-sex-hormones-help-protect-women-from-alzheimer-s-after-all-maybe
- https://nwhn.org/menopause-hormone-therapy-and-heart-disease/
Estrogen is the hormone most critical for supporting a woman’s overall health and well-being. Indispensable to fertility, bone health, brain functioning/cognition and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, estrogen also plays a prominent role in many degenerative, metabolic and autoimmune disorders. If you have too little or too much estrogen in your bloodstream, disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis, circulatory problems, metabolic diseases and development of benign or malignant tumors could pose a threat to your health.1
What Causes Estrogen Levels to Fall?
The primary reason women experience low estrogen (hypoestrogenism) is perimenopause and menopause.2 Suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, eating disorders or excessively exercising to the point where fat stores are nearly depleted may also decrease estrogen levels. Certain medications interfere with estrogen levels as well, such as aromatase inhibitors that are sometimes given to post-menopausal women with early stage breast cancer. After menopause, the ovaries stop making estrogen, but the body continues producing minimal amounts of estrogen by utilizing enzyme aromatase. Consequently, taking aromatase inhibitors prevent estrogen receptors from accepting and dispersing estrogen into the body.
What are Symptoms of Low Estrogen?
Classic signs of low estrogen are also signs of menopause:
- Hot flashes/night sweats
- Memory/concentration difficulties (“brain fog”)
- Vaginal drying/itching recurring infections
- Lack of interest in sex/low libido
- Mood swings/depression/irritability
- Weight gain
- Mild fluid retention
- Periodic achiness in joints and muscles
- Insomnia/disrupted sleep patterns (falling asleep and waking up a few hours later)
- Headaches/migraines
Long-term complications of low estrogen involve more serious and chronic health issues:
Heart Disease
Estrogen protects heart health by increasing levels of HDL, the “good” type of cholesterol. It also facilitates the flow of blood to the heart by dilating coronary arteries while reducing accumulation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol that can clog arteries. For women who are at risk for suffering cardiovascular diseases, a reduction in estrogen may increase their risk for heart disorders.3
Osteoporosis
Estrogen helps slow rates of calcium loss. As your estrogen levels start falling in your 40s, bone loss rates increase by as much as three percent per year. During and after menopause, women report more incidences of bone fractures as their bone mass decreases and bones become more fragile and brittle.4
Stress Incontinence
Leaking urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh or run is called stress incontinence. Estrogen loss contributes to declining strength and tone of soft tissues and muscles supporting the urethra. This makes it harder for menopausal women to stop urine flow from leaking.
Cognitive Functioning
Estrogen has neuroprotective properties that may delay or prevent declines in memory, focus and concentration.5 Some research suggests estrogen replacement may reduce a woman’s risk for having Alzheimer’s disease. Brain imaging scans of menopausal women has found estrogen loss negatively impacts formation of synapses and dendritic spines (both essential for normal signaling among brain cells). In addition, loss of estrogen decreases release of serotonin and other neurotransmitters implicated in mood, appetite, sleep and cognition.6
Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy for Estrogen Loss
Replacing hormones lost to menopause with traditional drugs like Prempro or Premarin are known to increase the risk of heart disease, blood clots, breast cancer and stroke in women over 45. Conjugated hormones like Prempro contain chemicals and estrogenic steroids taken from the urine of pregnant horses. Research indicates this type of hormone replacement does not resemble hormones produced by the body. Therefore, estrogen receptors temporarily resist accepting these hormones, which may be the underlying reason women suffer serious side effects of taking conjugated hormones.7
More women than ever are choosing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to restore healthy estrogen levels, eliminate symptoms of estrogen loss and protect their health as they age. Bioidentical hormones are derived from plant sources and mimic the molecular structure of your body’s naturally produced hormones. Because estrogen receptors readily accept bioidentical hormones, your physiological systems are not disrupted by potential inflammatory responses attributed to development of chronic and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Why not give us a call and find out more about estrogen replacement and BHRT?
Call us this week to schedule your free consultation.
References
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177.php
- https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/low-estrogen-symptoms
- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/menopause-and-heart-disease
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10091-menopause–osteoporosis
- https://practicalneurology.com/articles/2019-may/dementia-insights-cognitive-consequences-ofperimenopause
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/23/630688342/might-sex-hormones-help-protect-women-from-alzheimer-s-after-all-maybe
- https://nwhn.org/menopause-hormone-therapy-and-heart-disease/
