Former Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
www.daylife.page
Without estrogen ”A lady is no more a lady.” Nature has provided her a special organ known as “ovary” which makes estrogen that takes care her normal day to day requirement. During her pregnancy days she requires more estrogens, so nature provides an extra temporary organ named “placenta”. Estrogen is part of the menstrual cycle, helps in getting pregnant, developing bones and growing hair. Lately, we understood it’s role in regulating moods and impacting the brain development and other structured.
Estrogen is a steroid hormone associated with the female reproductive organs and primarily is responsible for developing female sexual characteristics. Estrogen or estradiol is the most common form of estrogen hormone.
Estrogenic compounds are very essential for our body functions. These compounds are made from the cholesterol one of the compound in our food which we eat daily. The three important natural estrogens in women are:
Estrone (E1): This is the primary and weakest type of estrogen present in menopausal females and normal males. Like all estrogens, estrone supports female sexual development and function. Low or high estrone can cause symptoms such as irregular bleeding, fatigue or mood swings.
Estradiol (E2): This is the most potent type of estrogen, both in terms of absolute serum levels as well as in terms of estrogenic activity and in females of childbearing age its concentration is highest. Estradiol is used to treat vasomotor symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy in menopause, hypoestrogenism, prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, treatment of breast cancer, and advanced androgen-dependent carcinoma of the prostate. It is involved in the regulation of female reproductive cycles such as estrous and menstrual cycles. It plays a crucial role in monitoring follicular development, endometrial receptivity, and embryo implantation.
Levels of Estrogen
Estrogen levels vary among individuals. They also fluctuate during the periods (menstrual cycle) and over a female’s lifetime. There are various factors both physiological and pathological which changes the levels of this hormone This fluctuation can sometimes produce effects such as mood changes before menstruation or hot flashes in menopause.
• Physiological factors that can affect estrogen levels include:
• puberty
• pregnancy, the end of pregnancy, and breastfeeding
• menopause
• older age
• Pathological factors that can affect estrogen levels include:
• overweight and obesity
• extreme dieting
• strenuous exercise or training
• the use of certain medications, including steroids, ampicillin, estrogen-containing drugs, phenothiazines, and tetracyclines
• some congenital conditions, such as Turner’s syndrome
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• primary ovarian insufficiency
• an underactive pituitary gland
• polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• tumors of the ovaries or adrenal glands
What does estrogen do for a woman's body?
In females, it helps develop and maintain both the reproductive system. It regulates the menstrual cycle on day 5-15 of your cycle and you're feeling a little more energized than usual. This is because estrogen is kicking into high gear! Use this hormone surge to your advantage and try some of the following exercises.3, estrogen affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain. Estrogen contributes to cognitive health, and other essential bodily processes and female characteristics, such as breasts and pubic hair. Estrogen can ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse. Need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Systemic estrogen helps protect against the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis. Estrogen signalling affects aggressive interactions, as well as several behaviours’ that are closely linked with aggression, including sexual behaviour, communication, and learning and memory.
Lack of estrogen cause inflammation
There is plenty of research showing that inflammation can increase during menopause due to declining estrogen. Estrogen is anti-inflammatory, so it makes sense that as it decreases, inflammation increases. This change can occur during any stage of menopause.
Common Medicines Affect Men & Women Differently
Men and women have several biological differences, and their systems react differently to certain chemicals and stimuli. Therefore, some conditions are more common in women than in men, and vice-versa. But it is only recently that medical science started paying attention to the different reactions men and women have to certain types of medication. Previously, most research was performed on male subjects, leading to a misunderstanding of how women would react to certain types of medication. In this article, we discuss the development of gender-based medicine, which works to provide appropriate medication for each gender. In other words, for the same disease men and women should be prescribed different medicine.
In order to make you understand better here we listed the 9 most common types of medications that have diverse effects on men and women. Earlier people did not have concept of“Gender-Based Medicine”and medical research was performed almost exclusively on men. It may be for 2 reasons
1. Pregnancy: During pregnancy period woman’s physiology completely changes and the other concern is to protect developing embryo from the ill effects of the medicineand,
2. Menstrual cycles: Again, during periods,because hormonal and chemical changes would prevent the correct assessment of the results.This led to neglect in studying the effects of medicine on women during their menstrual cycle.
Even nowadays, two-thirds of the illnesses that affect both genders are still studied on male subjects, and most experimental drugs are tested on men. The emergence of gender-based medicine occurred during the 1970s, but only during the 90s were these issues discussed in a wider forum. When it came to conditions that were considered “women only”, such as breast cancer and osteoporosis, men were not included as test subjects.
The result was that it became much harder to diagnose these conditions in men, despite the fact that men also suffer with these diseases. At this time, medical science is finally aware of the different effects medication has on men and women.
In a 2001 study, it was found that 11% of cases where women were hospitalized resulted due to incorrect medication, while in another study it was found that women seem to suffer more from side effects compared to men by a ratio of 50-70 percent.
Why Do Medicines Affect Men and Women Differently
There are several reasons why men and women have different reactions to certain types of medications:
1. Physical size and anatomy: Even though women are often physically smaller than men, they receive the same dosage. This means that they have a higher concentration of the medicine in their body, which could explain the differences in how the body reacts to it. At the same time, anatomical differences between genders can lead to increased sensitivity to certain types of medication in women
2. Differences in how the body processes medication: Our kidneys play a vital role in clearing toxins and excess medication from the body. In older women, however, there is a decrease in kidney functions, which some studies suggest is considerably higher than in men. This means that some women end up being exposed to higher concentrations of the active ingredients in the medication. Additionally, enzymes in the stomach lining and the liver, which are part of a system called “P450” that also helps remove excess medicine in the body, behave differently in men and women.
3. Stomach acidity levels: The digestive system in men and women works differently, so medication taken orally can affect each gender differently. In women, stomach acidity is lower than in men, leading to a slower emptying process. This means that the active ingredients in the medicine absorb in the stomach for longer periods, which affects women more than men.
Medication that Reacts Differently in Men and Women
Since the subject of the different effects medication has on different genders is still being studied, the following list cannot be considered as comprehensive or complete since more types of medication are likely to be added to it in the future. If you’re taking medication that appears on this list, are planning on changing your medication, or are experiencing unusual side effects, consult with your physician.
2. Valium: Valium is used to reduce anxiety and is often prescribed in the same dosage for both men and women, despite the fact that women process it faster than men, reducing its efficacy. The reason is that the high level of estrogen in women affects an enzyme called A43, which breaks down the Valium in the body. Since the breakdown is greater, women may require higher doses of Valium than men.
3. Zolpidem-based insomnia drugs: Many women who were taking zolpidem containing sleeping pills suffered from side effects such as night terrors, difficulty in waking up, headaches, etc. In 2013, following a study into the matter, the U.S. FDA instructed women to reduce their dosage by half. The reason is that women seemed to process the drug at a slower rate, thus increasing its efficacy. The side effects of zolpidem on women also increased the risk of car accidents.
4. Statins-based cholesterol-lowering drugs: Statins based cholesterol medication is commonly used as a treatment for high cholesterol and as a preventative measure for coronary diseases, despite the fact that these drugs were only tested on males. More recent studies found that while these drugs lower the risk of heart attacks in men, their effects on women are significantly lower, even compared to men with a history of heart problems.
5. Losartan-based blood pressure medication: While the increased activity of the A43 enzyme lowers the efficacy of certain medications in women, in some cases it can do the opposite and cause an overdose. The effects of losartan in women who take it for high blood pressure may lead to much stronger effects than in men who take the same dosage, thus causing their blood pressure to drop dangerously low.
6. Aspirin: There are women who take this NSAID on a daily basis as a form of prevention for coronary diseases, yet all the studies that recommended this practice were performed on men. In fact, aspirin does not protect women’s cardiovascular system in the same way it does for men, and doctors often recommend a considerably higher dosage to women who have been through a coronary event. However, in recent studies, it was found that aspirin does more to protect women from stroke compared to men.
7. Anesthetics: Though there are very few cases of people who have woken up during surgery or that report that they heard what was happening in the operating room, the number of women who reported these experiences is three times higher than men. Researchers have found that each gender reacts differently to the anesthetics because of the distribution of fat, which differs between males and females. For this reason, anesthetics that are fat soluble, such as Propofol, are more effective on men, while water-soluble anesthetics are more effective on women.
8. Painkillers: There are known differences in pain sensitivity and threshold between men and women, very few studies have been performed on the efficacy of painkillers for each gender. This is troubling because it is directly related to their efficacy and risk of addiction. In one of the few studies on this topic, it was found that the difference between male and female metabolism, women tend to enjoy a more powerful effect from opioid painkillers. This means that women need a dosage that is 30-40% smaller than men. Men, on the other hand, respond better to Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).
9. Epilepsy medicine: The hormonal changes women experience during their menstrual cycle has a significant effect on the efficacy of many types of medication. For example, progesterone may speed up the system that cleanses drugs from the body. In some women who suffer from epilepsy, this hormone may lead to a multitude of seizures prior to menstruation. Some women don’t make the connection between the increase in the frequency of attacks and their menstrual cycle, and many doctors won’t even ask them about it, despite the fact that this can easily be resolved by changing medication or dosage. In conclusion, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most important thing is to be aware and vigilant of whatever type of medication you take. Avoid taking anything before consulting with a doctor, and don’t be afraid to ask if the dosage is right for your gender, age, weight, and medical history.
