Estrogen
Estrogen is one of the sex hormones produced by the ovaries in females and the testes in males. They are known as female hormones because they are found in greater amounts in females than in males. It plays a dominant role in the female reproductive system. It influences growth, puberty, and regulates the reproductive cycle of menstruation and pregnancy. In addition, it affects many other body parts such as the bones, skin, arteries, the brain etc.
During puberty, estrogens stimulate linear growth and skeletal maturation. They cause behavioral changes and promote the development of both primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Primary female sexual characteristics include the internal and external genitalia; secondary sexual characteristics include breast development and the female pattern of fat deposition. Estrogen is not just one hormone, but a group of hormones of varying degree of activity. The three most important hormones of the estrogen group are estrone, estriol, and estradiol. Estradiol is the most potent and the most abundant estrogen hormone.
In premenopausal women, estrogen is produced at high levels. It regulates the growth of the women's secondary sexual characteristics; stimulates the growth of the uterine lining during the menstrual cycle and helps maintain the lining during pregnancy. However, after menopause the production of estrogen tapers off. This lack of estrogen may affect many of the body tissues including the reproductive system, urinary tract, heart, blood vessels, bones, breast, skin and parts of the brain. Some women will have no signs or symptom of decreased estrogen, while others may have many symptoms such as hot flashes, disturbed sleep, mood changes, vaginal dryness, and urinary problems. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), where estrogen is administered therapeutically, either alone or in combination with the hormone progestin may yield many short- and long-term benefits to the menopausal women. In the short term, it will relieve symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flashes, mild depression, and changes in vaginal tissue. In the long-term, it could help increase calcium absorption and thus increase bone mineral density. Loss of estrogen due to menopause has been shown to contribute to the development of osteoporosis (weakening of the bones). Estrogen therapy may prolong life by preventing heart disease, probably by increasing "good " cholesterol, HDL. One of the risks of ERT is the threat of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus). However, in combination with another hormone progestin, there appears to be no significant increase in the risk of uterine cancer. Estrogen therapy may be administered either through pills that are taken orally or can be given via a transdermal patch. However, before making the decision to take ERT, each woman should discuss the risks and benefits with her own personal physician.
Estrogens are currently being used in the treatment of certain types of breast cancer in men and women and certain kinds of prostate cancer in men. This hormone has been found to have many beneficial effects on brain cells, and brain chemicals. In the laboratory, it has been observed that brain cells form better connections in the presence of estrogen. Hence, the use of estrogen to treat Alzheimer's disease is being investigated in many clinical studies that are being carried out all over the country.
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