THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HORMONES FOR THE BRAIN…Progesterone is produced by both the ovum released by the ovaries and the adrenal gland. And of course, in men the adrenals are the only source. Progesterone gets converted to a compound called allopregnanolone, which is a neurosteroid. The compound is incredibly protective to the brain, calming it and preventing depression and seizures and migraines. So, if we are stressed (wiping out our adrenals) or are prediabetic (which destroys the ovary’s ability to release a healthy egg) our progresterone levels will be low and we will not have the same ability to protect our brain. In this particular animal study, we see that low levels of allopregnanolone contribute to both sleep problems and cognitive decline, likely another consequence of our poor quality lifestyles. Read More…
Ovarian Hormones
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Is Associated With Endothelial Dysfunction – (04-09-01)
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Is Associated With Endothelial Dysfunction
In view of recent findings that insulin resistance can be a contributor to endothelial dysfunction; and knowing that high insulin levels can shunt hormone production into too much testosterone in the female to contribute to PCOS…then this study is merely proving that A=B and B=C so A must =C. But it’s nice to see the studies done to prove what clinicians in the trenches use empirically every day.
Circulation — Abstracts: Paradisi et al. 103 (10): 1410
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – (03-18-01)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
It is generally accepted that insulin dysregulation is a major contributor to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Insulin acts by shunting more precursor hormones over to testosterone instead of estrogen. These elevated levels of testesterone then lead to the findings of PCOS. The authors suggest an insulin to glucose ratio to determine whether insulin resistance is present; this is one of the most accurate ways to identify impaired glucose tolerance decades before diabetes may develop.
J Pediatr 2001;138:38-44 Profound metabolic derangements, which can be detected early in young, obese adolescent girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome, appear to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, report physicians in Pennsylvania. Dr. Silva Arslanian and colleagues, of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, determined in vivo insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and fasting hepatic glucose production in 22 girls, average age 12.0 years, whose body mass index was 90% or greater for their age. Twelve subjects had been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome after exhibiting hyperandrogenism, while the remaining 10 girls served as controls. Fasting glucose levels were normal in all subjects, the investigators report in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. Hepatic glucose production was also similar between the two groups. However, among the girls with the ovarian syndrome, fasting insulin levels were about twice as high, while insulinlike growth factor binding protein-1 and fasting glucose-to-insulin ratios were lower, compared with those in the control subjects. Dr. Arslanian and associates conclude that the reduction in peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity, hepatic insulin resistance, and compensatory hyperinsulinemia puts obese adolescents with polycystic ovarian syndrome at risk for type 2 diabetes. The investigators recommend oral glucose tolerance testing in patients with this syndrome and suggest that the fasting glucose-to-insulin ratio may be of use in screening for insulin resistance.
Natural Menopause Treatment for Hot Flash Relief
It’s inevitable as a woman ages: the production of hormones changes and you’re searching for that natural menopause treatment that will provide hot flash relief.
You’re pretty sure Satan just sat down in the cubicle next to you, but no one else seems to have noticed that the temperature gauge is now reading Kelvin instead of Fahrenheit.
Unless you’ve just swallowed 1500 mg of niacin in a single dose, the is likely the dreaded menopausal hot flash.
Many accept that these are just a part of the menopausal transition. But your best friend laughs at you bathing in an ice bath because she never experienced menopausal flushes. You’ve also heard that Asian women generally have less problems with hot flushes than American women.
As unfair as this sounds, is this really true and, if so, is there really a reason why some women experience dramatic menopausal hot flashes and some barely notice the transition?
Certainly a quick Internet search for hot flash relief will lead you to a long list of natural menopause treatment supplements typically containing herbs like black cohosh or soy isoflavones.
Off course, if “natural” is not your speed, you can always rely on the time tested hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Of course, while it may have been “time tested” is was never actually “research tested” until the Women’s Health Initiative discovered that it was causing much greater harm than benefit. The 40 years of so of the untested HRT use in women is about as close as we can get to an epic failure of the medical process as possible.
Back to the hot flash relief topic.
Overall, it’s clear that not every women has the same experience as it relates to menopausal hot flashes. This particular article may begin to explain why.
And it all boils down to our old friend prediabetes.
Researchers looked at the frequency of hot flushes as it related to a marker of insulin resistance (called HOMA, or homeostasis model assessment). The higher the HOMA, the more prediabetic someone is. Here are the findings:
- In women experiencing 1-5 hot flashes per day the HOMA index was 237% higher
- At 6 or more hot flushes per day it was 591% higher.
- Hormone levels of estradiol (e2) or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) did not affect the results.
Overall, this is really NOT good. Based on this, if you are experiencing more frequent hot flashes, it may mean that you are on a full sprint towards developing diabetes.
What this means is that natural menopause treatment for hot flash relief is not going to come in a bottle. Rather, you need to evaluate your entire lifestyle and make healthier changes to protect your heart and protect against diabetes as you age.
If you experienced severe hot flashes during menopause, what did you find that was able to help?
INFERTILITY AND PCOS: OVARIAN DRILLING VS METFORMIN – (10-20-04)
Metformin Administration Versus Laparoscopic Ovarian Diathermy in Clomiphene Citrate-Resistant Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Am I missing something here? The relationship between polycystic ovaries and metabolic syndrome is beyond reproach. Lifestyle changes to manage metabolic syndrome is the first (and, in my opinion, only) line of defense and has proven incredibly effective to eliminate insulin resistance. The few docs aware of the relationship have used metformin successfully as well, but it is not my choice. So why, why, why do we continue to have procedures like ovarian drilling and laproscopic diathermy for PCOS???? I’m not a woman and thus don’t have ovaries to deal with, but I could pretty much guess that, if I was, I would prefer not to have my reproductive organ drilled when lifestyle changes and exercise are MORE effective!! If anyone has an answer for this one, please forward it to me…
Metformin Administration Versus Laparoscopic Ovarian Diathermy in Clomiphene Citrate-Resistant Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
INFERTILITY IN THE POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME – (09-17-07)
Clomiphene, Metformin, or Both for Infertility in the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Jese o’ Pete–How about NEITHER!! PCOS is a lifestyle condition that needs to be managed from a lifestyle standpoint. You force ovulation on a body that is saying it doesn’t want to get pregnant and you grow a fetus in an unhealthy system and then mom raises that child in the same poor lifestyle she had. This is a deadly combination as it pertains to chronic disease.
Although we are seeing the onset of chronic disease in younger and younger patients each generation, I firmly believe that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg as it relates to chronic disease.
HIGHER ESTROGEN LEVELS EQUATE TO A RISK OF BREAST AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCERS – (01-15-07)
Fatness at birth predicts adult susceptibility to ovarian suppression: An empirical test of the Predictive Adaptive Response hypothesis
I can honestly say that I do not routinely ask patients about their birth status (premature, weight, weight gain in the first 6 months…) but given the increasing evidence for gestational events to preprogram the fetus, this is not an unrealistic route to take.
In this study, the authors found that, when pregnant women were well fed, their adult daughters had higher estrogen levels and these levels were harder to reduce with exercise. That would equate to a greater risk of breast and endometrial cancers. Wow!! Talk about needing to stratify responders in an “exercise to reduce breast cancer” epidemiological study!!