Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — menopause and hormone balance

Hot flashes, mood instability, brain fog and memory changes during perimenopause are not “all in your head” — but they are very much in your brain. In this in-depth clinical article, Dr. Kate Placzek of ZRT Laboratory explains how declining estradiol disrupts brain glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter signalling and thermoregulation, why perimenopause represents a window of neurological vulnerability, and why the timing of hormone replacement therapy is critical to protecting long-term brain health.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial cast a long shadow over hormone replacement therapy — but it enrolled women well over a decade past menopause. Two newer trials, ELITE and KEEPS, specifically studied HRT started early in the postmenopausal period. Their findings on cardiovascular health, sexual function, sleep, mood and cognition paint a more nuanced and encouraging picture. Here is what the latest research shows.

Estrogen dominance — an excess of oestrogen relative to progesterone — is one of the most common hormonal imbalances in women. From heavy periods and mood swings to breast tenderness and weight gain, the symptoms are wide-ranging. Discover the causes, what to test, and how to restore balance.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. But many risk factors are modifiable — including hormone imbalance and excess weight. Discover the two most important actions women can take to reduce breast cancer risk, and how hormone testing can help identify hidden imbalances before they become a problem.

In 1999, Tina Mattern was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced a terrifying choice of conventional treatments. Instead, she discovered the work of Dr. David Zava and ZRT Laboratory, and chose a path of natural hormone balancing, saliva testing and lifestyle change. This is her story — and her happy ending.