Essay on Menopause and Natural Progesterone

Ovariectomized mice were used to avoid the potential confound of various circulating sex hormones especially estrogen. Moreover, we find out lack of estrogen causes more extensive EAE and different doses of estrogen could protect against EAE. We demonstrated intermediate dose of estrogen (5 fold lower than pregnancy level) could reduce the incidence and severity of clinical disease similar to pregnancy level of estrogen but also lower side effects than high dose estrogen therapy. Further, we discovered administration of low dose estrogen has a beneficial efficiency in treatment of EAE condition, although it will be necessary to perform supplementary investigations in the future

Menopause is a significant event in most women’s lives as it marks the end of the natural reproductive life. For most women, menopause will occur between the ages of 40 and 58 years with the average being 51 years (Zapantis & Santoro, 2003). The timing of menopause globally is relatively constant, however both the nature and severity of symptoms varies substantially between women from different ethnicities and geographical locations for reasons that are not completely understood (Roberts & Hickey, 2016). The Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10 (Harlow et al., 2012) classifies the transition through menopause into five stages which are discussed below.

Even with the references that they provided, they did not extract the information and present it in a way that made it comparable, detail-by-detail, to estrogen and progesterone. They were able to list why synthetic progestin was a risk, but not as to why it was a benefit, or why synthetic progestin was being administered in the first place for hormonal treatment. Even on line 6, on page 3, the researchers stated “despite the significant distinctions between progesterone and synthetic progestins…”, but failed to identify the significant distinctions between them. On page 2, line 15, they stated that “progesterone is likely to be more beneficial and carry fewer risks than its synthetic counterpart”, but did not include an analysis of the difference, or why cognitively they are important.

You're in the early stages of menopause and you're already feeling like it's one battle you're going to struggle to win. Don't fight it alone: try out hormone replacement medications. These medicines are designed to help you fight back against menopause, but like any medicine, them come with potential side effects that you need to know in order to stay healthy and safe.

Vasomotor symptoms are episodes of profuse heat accompanied by sweating and flushing, experienced predominantly around the head, neck, chest, and upper back. These are experienced by the majority of women during the menopausal transition. In Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), 60-80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms at some point during the menopausal transition, with prevalence rates varying by racial/ethnic group (Gold EB et al. 2006). Research from SWAN indicates that the occurrence and frequency of vasomotor symptoms peak in the late perimenopause and early post-menopausal years (Dennerstein L,1996) or the several years surrounding the final menstrual period. Reproductive hormones likely play an integral role, as evidenced by the onset of vasomotor symptoms occurring in the context of the dramatic reproductive hormone changes of the menopausal transition and by the therapeutic role of exogenous estrogen in their treatment (Randolph JF, et al.

According to Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professionals, 9th Edition, menopause is “The cessation of menses, but commonly referring to the period of the female climacteric”. Menopause usually occurs naturally in women between the ages 45-55, but can happen sooner or later from those ages. Menopause can also occur surgically, with the removal of the uterus. This is referred to as artificial menopause. Menopause is associated with several bothersome symptoms or disorders. Although there are therapies to help alleviate symptoms in some patients, it does not work for all patients. (Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professionals, 9th Edition, 2013)

Menopause in women occurs when menstrual flow ceases. Its onset is from 50 years and presents as hot flushes and sweating at night (vasomotor symptoms). Symptoms are caused by reduced estrogen levels and compromise the quality of life. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is used to correct estrogen levels subsequently relieving the symptoms. Synthetic estrogen is supplemented. This may be given for topical vaginal application for local symptoms. This hormone restores bleeding during the withdrawal intervals. For those still with a uterus, progesterone is also administered to curb endometrial growth that may cause cancer. Estradiol is given for oral use or through transdermal injection. Annual review is conducted to

Numerous health benefits have been linked to phyto-oestrogens including preventative and therapeutic effects against carcinogenesis, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis as well as other benefits (Patisaul and Jefferson, 2011). However many have also been found to cause detrimental effects such as disturbance of lactation, the timing of puberty, compromised fertility as well as paradoxically increasing the risks of what they are meant to prevent/treat etc. as mentioned by Patisaul and Jefferson (2011).

•Abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopausal period- Perimenopause is the time period before menopause, which can last several years (average 5 years) and is caused by fluctuations in ovarian function (Cash & Glass, 2014). Irregular menses with heavy blood flow can be a sign of perimenopause (Maldonado & Zúñiga, 2005). Other symptoms can include lighter menses, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbance and changes in vaginal, bladder or sexual function (Mayo Clinic, 2016). In the U.S., the average age of menopause is 50-52 years (Maldonado & Zúñiga, 2005). Most women experience menopause between 44 and 55 years of age, but some may be younger or older (Cash & Glass, 2014). Risk factors for an

Excess exposure to exogenous estrogen is a major cause of EC, which can be through unopposed estrogen therapy, use of tamoxifen, and phytoestrogens.20,21,22 Systemic estrogen therapy such as oral tablets, vaginal rings, and patches have been found to increase the risk of endometrial hyperplasia or EC.21 Estrogen replacement after menopause have also being found to cause an increased risk when not adequately countered with progesterone replacement.21 Prospective cohort and case control studies have demonstrated an association between these sources and EC, with the dose and duration of use implicated in the increased incidence (RR range: 1.1 to 15 ). In a prospective study between 1996 to 2001, about 716,738 postmenopausal women were recruited to examine their use of replacement therapy and EC risk, there was increased risk of EC in women on estrogen only therapy(1.45 [1.02-2.06]; p=0.04), and reduced risk in those with cyclic combined therapy (relative risk 0.71 [95% CI 0.56-0.90]; p=0.005), when compared to women who have never used hormonal replacement therapy.20

Estrogen regulates growth and differentiation in multiple systems including reproductive system, mammary gland, lung, colon, nervous system, and immune system (Findlay 2001, hall 2001). The most prominent estrogens in mammalian species are estrone, estradiol and estriol. During the reproductive stage of life, 17beta-estradiol is the most predominent estrogen. In the menopausal stage, estriol is the primary form of estrogen (pascoe 1996).

Most people begin to see signs of aging after age 50 when they notice the physical markers of age. The bones become less dense. At this stage the bones become weaker and easier to break. After menopause because women produce less estrogen they have a loss of bone density. The harmone Estrogen aides in the prevention of too much bone being broken down during the body’s normal process of forming, breaking down and the reformation of bones.

Estrogen in the therapy has a lot of clinical benefits. Results from studies indicate that it reduces atherosclerosis and low-density cholesterol. It elevates high-density cholesterol and improves coronary vasodilation. Platelet aggregation prevented and reduced fracturing is also observed in HRT use. HRT was also reduced cardiovascular event and related mortalities. HRT also does not increase the risk to stroke, common in old age as supported by the Schierbeck study in 1993 and follow up for the next sixteen years4. In women where menstruation occurs prematurely, osteoporosis is prevented through HRT. HRT also improves mood as it is neuroprotective, it preserves cognitive functioning and reduces the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease4.

Another major part that Progesterone plays in the body is the development of special proteins which is done by “causing the endometrium to secrete special proteins during the second half of the menstrual cycle”[2]. Progesterone “stimulates the further development of blood vessels in the endometrium”[6] in which it helps to prepare the for a fertilized egg to be embedded in the uterus. Together estrogen and progesterone help stop further ovulation during the cycle of

When most of us think of the benefits of hormone therapy, we think about replacing estrogen in women as they get older and reach the stage of menopause. This type of medical management can help many women overcome and avoid some of the negative effects of getting older while resolving many of the annoying and downright painful symptoms related to reduced and depleted hormone levels as they age.