Estrogen

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 Function

Estrogen Types

Estrogen in Cosmetics

Estrogen in Medicine

Estradiol and Estrogen Levels

Estrogen as a Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Latest Estrogen News and Research

Prolonged hormone therapy linked to higher muscle mass, less chance of sarcopenia

Skeletal muscle mass and strength are critical in helping prevent falls, fractures, and disability. Yet, they continue to decline during the menopause transition.

12 Feb 2020

Vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women linked to disc degeneration and lower back pain

Lumbar disc degeneration and resulting lower back pain become greater concerns with age and disproportionately affect women more than men, likely as a result of decreasing estrogen levels during menopause.

12 Feb 2020

High testosterone in women ups risk for cancer, diabetes, and metabolic disease

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that triggers the development of male secondary sex characteristics. Though found mainly in men, the ovaries in women release small amounts of testosterone. When combined with estrogen, testosterone aids in the growth and repair of a woman's reproductive tissues.

12 Feb 2020

Age of puberty in girls the world over becoming lower

A new study on the age of initial breast development as the first sign of puberty in girls shows that over the last 40 years, this has come down by an average of 3 months per decade. The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

11 Feb 2020

Tips to care for your skin during menopause

By the time they reach menopause - which officially begins one year after a woman's last period -; many women think they have their lives figured out. Careers are well established; children are grown and independent; and there's more time for leisure and self-care.

11 Feb 2020

A protein that plays key role in endometrial cancer growth discovered

The hormone estrogen plays many critical roles in men and women, in both healthy tissues and in cancer. In breast and gynecologic cancers, estrogen sends signals to tumors instructing the cancer cells to grow out of control.

11 Feb 2020

Study explores how some mammals postpone development of their embryos

How do some mammals postpone the development of their embryos to await better conditions for having offspring? A recent study at the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine explored this reproductive enigma, which can occur in more than 130 species of mammals as well as in some marsupials.

10 Feb 2020

Researchers suggest new approach of evaluating vascular function earlier in women

Men and women differ in the way their vascular systems age and the rate at which atherosclerosis ― the hardening of artery walls or buildup of arterial blockage ― progresses over time. These sex- and age-related differences have a direct bearing on a woman's risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

6 Feb 2020

Cancer-fighting compound reduces fat in obese mice

Eric Prossnitz, PhD, and his team hope to help 93 million obese Americans fight their fat.

6 Feb 2020

Study suggests potential therapy option for early-stage breast cancer

Radionuclide therapy has proven successful in delaying the growth of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in early-stage breast cancer in a small animal model, suggesting its use as a potential adjuvant therapy for retarding the proliferation of DTCs.

5 Feb 2020

Study finds unexpected response to estrogen at the single cell level

A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that not only do individual mammalian cells in a population fail to respond synchronously to estrogen stimulation, neither do individual gene copies, known as alleles.

28 Jan 2020

Puberty blockers reduce suicidal ideations among transgender teens

Transgender teens have a higher risk of having suicidal ideations, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A new study suggests that having access to puberty blockers can significantly reduce the risk of suicide and other mental health issues.

26 Jan 2020

Non-hormonal options are effective in treating menopause symptoms

The classic symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, sleeplessness, and vaginal dryness – have typically been treated with estrogen therapy. Studies published today report that non-hormonal options are effective, too.

24 Jan 2020

Three big AI projects in medicine to watch in 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to touch medicine in many different ways, from making diagnoses to triaging patients. Many AI enterprises will make headlines in 2020:

24 Jan 2020

Elagolix drug suppresses ovarian hormone production, prevents heavy menstrual bleeding

About 50 % of women with uterine fibroids--non-cancerous muscle tumors that grow in the uterus--experience heavy menstrual bleeding and other symptoms. Surgery is commonly recommended when these symptoms are severe enough to prompt a woman to seek treatment.

23 Jan 2020

New study to measure effects of environmental exposure on young women's breasts

A University of Massachusetts Amherst cancer epidemiologist has received a $462,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand her research into the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the breast density of college-age women. High breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer.

23 Jan 2020

Having children and breastfeeding lowers risk of premature menopause

A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open reports that early menopause is less likely to happen in women who have had one or more pregnancies that went beyond 6 months, and in women who nursed their babies. Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with the lowest risk.

22 Jan 2020

Early menopause tied to multiple health problems later in life

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years, which normally occurs in their 50s. The time at which a woman undergoes menopause may indicate future health status, with those having premature menopause at a higher risk of developing multiple and chronic health problems, a new study found.

20 Jan 2020

Estrogen plays a role in expansion of liver metastases in non-sex-specific cancers

It is known that the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the progression of cancer. But could estrogen present in this microenvironment facilitate the growth of liver metastases in women affected by colon, pancreatic and lung cancers?

17 Jan 2020

3D structure of DNA is 'rewired' in hormone-resistant ER+ breast cancers

Epigenetic changes occur in the DNA of breast cancer cells that have developed a resistance to hormone therapy, an effective treatment for ER+ breast cancer, which accounts for 70% of all diagnoses.

16 Jan 2020