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FEMALE HORMONES: Your Owner’s Manual
Did you know that most
women can’t name the major hormones that play a key role in reproduction
and menopause? To make informed decisions about managing menopause and
hormone replacement therapy, you’ve got to be in the know!
Hormones are substances that carry chemical messages from one organ to
another, as well as to other tissues. ESTROGEN and PROGESTERONE are the
major female sex hormones, mainly produced by the ovaries during the
reproductive years. (There are other hormones that play key roles in the
menstrual cycle too).
ESTROGEN is the main female sex hormone. Besides regulating ovulation,
and playing a role in conception and pregnancy, estrogen maintains bone
strength. It can also protect you from heart disease (to some extent).
After menopause, estrogen production drops to about 1/3 of what it was
during the childbearing years. Left unmanaged, this decrease may lead to
osteoporosis and contribute to heart disease. This is the primary reason
why your doctor recommends estrogen replacement. Replacing estrogen
prevents bone loss. It also affects your cholesterol by keeping HDL high
(the “good” cholesterol), and keeping LDL low (the “bad” cholesterol).
This may help prevent heart disease.
PROGESTERONE works with estrogen. After menopause, a woman’s body only
produces a fraction of the amount produced during the childbearing
years. Taking progesterone with estrogen replacement decreases the risk
of cancer of the uterus.
Understanding how your body works helps you to make careful and informed
choices about how you care for it. As you approach menopause, it’s
especially important that you understand the role hormones play in
maintaining your good health. At your next appointment, please ask your
doctor any questions you may have so that we can help you stay well!
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