Estrogen

Estrogens are a family of related molecules that stimulate the development and maintenance of female characteristics and sexual reproduction.

What is Estrogen?

Estrogens (also called Oestrogens) are steroid compounds that are important for development and functioning of females of the species. They are named so because they play an important role in the estrous cycle. Their name comes from estrus/oistros (period of fertility for female mammals) + gen/gonos = to generate.

Estrogen Types

Estrogen in Cosmetics

Estrogen in Medicine

The Role of Estrogen in Men’s Health

Estradiol and Estrogen Levels

Estrogen Function

Latest Estrogen News and Research

Baylor researchers develop SAMENT method to map metastatic tumor niches

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions developed a method that reveals the cellular makeup of tissues that support metastatic cancer growth, which is the primary cause of death for most patients with solid tumors.

28 Apr 2026

Estrogen loss after menopause impacts heart health through gene regulation

Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute say the increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause may stem not only from declining hormone levels, but also from how those changes influence gene activity.

27 Apr 2026

Traditional plant extract may treat bone and mood disorders in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women are at higher risk for both osteoporosis and depression, yet no single treatment effectively addresses both conditions because their shared biological basis remains poorly understood.

25 Apr 2026

Having more children associated with lower stroke risk for women

While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise.

20 Apr 2026

Higher stress and BMI tied to earlier puberty in girls

New research links stress, BMI, and hormone patterns to pubertal timing, revealing implications for long-term health and early intervention strategies.

16 Apr 2026

Clinical trial tests laser therapy for vaginal dryness in breast cancer survivors

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is now enrolling patients into a clinical trial aimed at helping women recover from the vaginal side effects of breast cancer treatment.

13 Apr 2026

Steroid hormones, BMI and stress influence puberty timing in girls

Higher levels of key steroid hormones-combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)-are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Apr 2026

Researchers map how menstrual cycle phases affect athletic performance

In a repeated-measures study of 18 eumenorrheic female athletes, half-squat strength was highest in the late follicular phase and around ovulation, while handgrip strength peaked in the late luteal phase. Psychological measures also shifted across the cycle, with lower vigor and higher fatigue and depression scores in the late luteal phase, supporting more individualized training monitoring.

12 Apr 2026

Large US study finds never-married adults face higher risk for most major cancers

A large US population-based study found that never-married adults had higher cancer incidence than ever-married adults across most cancer types, with the largest disparities seen in older adults and in Black men. The pattern was especially strong for HPV-related, tobacco-related, and several reproductive cancers, suggesting marital status may act as an important social marker of cancer risk.

9 Apr 2026

How could bisphenol A raise depression risk? Study identifies six key molecular targets

An integrative Translational Psychiatry study linked BPA exposure to major depressive disorder by identifying 571 shared targets and six core genes, with genetic, transcriptomic, docking, and mouse-model data supporting plausible mechanistic pathways. The strongest signals pointed to AKT1, SRC, PLCG2, and JAK3 as potential contributors, while EGFR appeared protective.

31 Mar 2026

Treating autonomic dysfunction can relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression

Consider a house with the water main half shut. The faucets sputter. The toilet runs all night. The garden wilts. You could call a plumber for the faucet, a landscaper for the garden, a different plumber for the toilet, and every one of them would fix something while fixing nothing.

31 Mar 2026

Testosterone level is not always the key to male wellbeing

The connection between testosterone and well-being is weaker than many people think. Although there are clear health connections, a higher testosterone level is not always the key to well-being, according to a thesis at the University of Gothenburg.

31 Mar 2026

How do diet, smoking, alcohol, and stress reshape the female microbiome?

This review examines how modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors shape the female vaginal, gut, oral, and skin microbiomes, with diet, alcohol, smoking, obesity, stress, hygiene, physical activity, and sexual behaviours all linked to site-specific microbial shifts. It argues that understanding these patterns could help guide future female-focused prevention and intervention strategies.

30 Mar 2026

$Heart health linked to higher fracture risk in postmenopausal women$

Heart health linked to higher fracture risk in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women face a high risk of bone fractures. Due to declines in estrogen levels, which can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, even a low-impact fall can result in a serious hip, back or wrist injury.

27 Mar 2026

Blood-based test helps personalize breast cancer care for older patients

For women age 70 and over with a common form of breast cancer, determining "the right size" of treatment can be challenging, in part because clinicians have limited tools to guide individualized treatment decisions.

19 Mar 2026

Menopause may raise women’s Alzheimer risk earlier than doctors once thought

This review argues that women’s higher Alzheimer disease risk may be shaped in part by midlife neuroendocrine aging, especially the menopause transition, rather than by longevity alone. It highlights early menopause, bilateral oophorectomy, vasomotor symptoms, and midlife cognitive changes as underinvestigated but potentially important risk markers, while calling for sex-specific, biomarker-driven prevention strategies.

18 Mar 2026

Early menopause linked to higher lifetime heart disease risk

Women who enter natural menopause before age 40 face about a 40% higher lifetime risk of developing coronary heart disease than women who experience menopause later, according to a large Northwestern Medicine study that is the first to calculate lifetime heart risk associated with premature menopause.

18 Mar 2026

Combined CDK4/6 and EGFR inhibition improves pancreatic cancer therapy

Clinically available KRAS inhibitors mainly target G12C, which is rare in PDAC and often acquires resistance. Oncogenic KRAS inactivates RB1 via CDK4/6, while RB1 mutation is rare.

13 Mar 2026

Blood test marker p-tau217 helps detect early dementia risk in cognitively healthy older women

A long-term study of 2,766 women in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study found that higher baseline plasma p-tau217 levels were associated with a greater risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or probable dementia.

11 Mar 2026

Dual-positive hybrid cells linked to shorter survival in advanced breast cancer

An enigmatic type of circulating tumor cell called a dual-positive (DP) cell is associated with shorter survival time in patients with advanced breast cancer, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

11 Mar 2026