Tag " Estrogen"

What is it?            Polycystic ovary disease (also known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS) is defined as a condition in which there is an imbalance in female sex hormones. This can lead to a number of changes including abnormal and irregular menses, acne and infertility. The typical woman with PCOS is thought of as being [...]

Disease or hormone imbalance? I have been plagued by insomnia for years and years. I have attributed it to many things and have been diagnosed with a variety of “disease states”. Depression is associated with insomnia, check. Too much stress from the loss of loved ones to the stresses of medical school and residency, check. [...]

To get you ready for my next post: There are more than 15 steroid hormones, each with its own metabolites, and an enzyme system that converts them from one steroid to another, from moment to moment: the steroid hormone cascade.

We hear so much about the thyroid today and it seems that almost everyone has or thinks they have a thyroid problem.  So what’s the deal – is thyroid disease really increasing that much?  Are all these people complaining of depression, fatigue and difficulty losing weight just looking for excuses or can these problems be [...]

Testosterone – The Male Hormone Testosterone has gotten some bad press (like estrogen) because of the potential for abuse in professional athletes and body builders.  But most men like to think they have LOTS of testosterone.  It is what makes them build strong, large muscles, have deep voices, and masculine, hairy bodies.  But most of [...]

Progesterone’s role Progesterone is estrogen’s partner. It is secreted primarily in the ovary after ovulation and is responsible for promoting implantation of the embryo and maintaining pregnancy. It is the major hormone of pregnancy. During a woman’s menstrual cycle estrogen causes the uterine endometrium to grow and prepare for a pregnancy. Progesterone comes in about [...]

Estrogen – The female hormone Estrogen is a hormone familiar to most everyone.  It is what makes us female.  It makes women have soft skin and curves, high lilting voices, and breasts.  It has over 400 functions in the body and has a powerful emotional, psychological, and physical effect on our body.  It is produced [...]

The recent New York Times article (click here) regarding the Million Women Study and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) adds another layer of confusion for women.  I would like to provide some clarification by looking at the medical literature and analyzing what it shows. First, some caveats: The medical literature and many analysts do not distinguish between [...]