Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — neurosteroid

Original of this article was published on ZRT Laboratory Blog. On a new Danish study which suggesting that hormonal contraception might increase risk of depression, and that previous studies may not have highlighted this link because they did not include women who stopped taking their birth control as a result of depressive symptoms. Findings from the Study The study did find an association between use of hormonal contraception and the subsequent use of antidepressant medications and diagnosis of depression. The risk of depression with contraceptive use decreased with increasing age, and was highest in the youngest age group studied, namely...

Since starting to talk publicly about periods, we know so much more about the biochemical basics and physical aspects of menstruation. We are now also beginning to better understand the underlying interplay of sex-hormones with neurotransmitters that create the harmony of a normal menstrual cycle, or the symptom havoc seen with PMS, or its more severe form PMDD. A Brief Overview of PMS & PMDD Characterized by its cyclical onset around the time of menstruation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects many women of reproductive age. Sometimes symptoms associated with PMS can be so severe that premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) arises. Working...

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.