Estrogen
Estrogen is a hormone that produces female physical traits and helps regulate a woman's menstrual cycle. In women, estrogen is produced in varying amounts throughout the menstrual cycle, mainly by the ovaries.
When a woman's estrogen levels reach a low enough point, she stops having monthly menstrual periods (menopause). This can happen either as part of natural aging or when a woman's ovaries have been removed or have been damaged by chemotherapy or radiation. After menopause, a woman's adrenal gland and the androgen from fat cells produce low levels of estrogen.
Men have low levels of estrogen in their bodies. Overweight and obese men and women have higher estrogen levels than those with lower body fat.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
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