Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a slow and devastating condition that affects memory, cognition, and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Sadly, women are disproportionately affected: by 2050, over 9 million out of 13.8 million Americans with Alzheimer’s will be women. But why are women at greater risk? The answers lie not only in longevity but in biology, hormones, brain structure, and how women respond to stress. What is Alzheimer’s? Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, marked by the gradual loss of neurons and brain function. Characteristic features include the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, excessive neural pruning,...

Estrogen plays a role in more bodily functions than just reproduction. In fact, estrogen has many important functions in the brain. Studies show that decreasing levels of estrogen can cause two of the most common perimenopause symptoms – hot flashes and mood fluctuations. Curious how this happens? Read on to learn the details of this biochemistry. Summary The main focus of this blog is the time in a woman’s life right before menopause, conveniently called perimenopause. The difference between menopause and perimenopause is fairly straightforward – menopause is the time after periods stop happening, and perimenopause is the time leading...

DHEA and DHEA-S are the most abundant steroid hormones in the body and play a critical role in brain health, mood regulation, and cognitive function. This article explains the biochemical distinction between the two, how they act as neurosteroids, and why measuring DHEA-S is the gold standard for assessing adrenocortical activity.