Tag Archives: women’s hormones

JMC Restorative Medicine has all current testing and treatment in bioidentical hormone treatment which is the latest recommended way to go in women of perimenopausal age and/or with symptoms associated which is critical for health reasons. A growing body of research shows that it,  is not simply the amount of total estrogen in a woman’s body but how the estrogen is broken down as well, that is vital to improving prevention and pathogenesis of estrogen related conditions like osteoporosis, breast cancer , lupus and other autoimmune conditions. Two competing pathways exist.

The dominant pathway has estrogen metabolized to an inactive possibly anti-estrogenic  metabolite ,2-hydroxyestrone-2OHE1-or “good estrogen”.It is not likely to stimulate cell division in target tissues and so not likely to promote cell proliferation in the breast or uterus, a process linked to DNA damage and tumor development.

In a competing pathway, estrogen is metabolized to 16alpha-hydroxyestrone-16alpha-OHE1- a more active and powerful metabolite that accelerates DNA synthesis, cell multiplication ; and so,higher levels are associated to development of tumors or lupus like syndromes.

Studies show that levels of 2OHE1 and 16alpha-OHE1 and the balance between them can be modified and followed as predictors of estrogen related health, breast cancer prevention and improved quality of life around menopause. For example, a woman may have “normal” total estrogen but a low 2/16OHE1 ratio indicating dominance of the active metabolite and she may feel symptoms of excess estrogen. Alternately, if her 2/16OHE1 ratio is high, the inactive metabolite is dominant and she may lack the estrogen stimulatory effect necessary to prevent bone tissue diseases such as osteoporosis.

Tracking 2/16 OHE1 ratio can track the effects of therapies aimed at optimizing estrogen metabolism. Balance between these two metabolites is key and can be modulated individually through a variety of lifestyle, dietary and bioidentical hormone supplement interventions. Substances such as cruciferous vegetables, omega 3 fatty acids, flaxseed, grains and soy have been shown to increase 2/16 OHE1 ratio thereby reducing risk of estrogen dependent disorders.

Hydroxyestrone levels do not have a circadian rhythm and can be measured in a single serum or spot urine sample. We at JMC Restorative Medicine have received the most current functional medicine training in this field and can not only test but treat and modify estrogen metabolism individually to improve a woman’s health and sense of wellbeing.