By Sherry LaBeck, ND. ZRT Laboratory. It is highly likely that women aged 60 to 90 have vivid memories of the astonishing healthcare news from 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a comprehensive long-term national health study, was abruptly terminated earlier than expected. The initial trial results sent shockwaves through the medical community and had a profound impact on the lives of numerous women. Furthermore, this news fundamentally transformed the perception of routine menopausal hormone replacement prescriptions for years to follow. The WHI was launched in 1991 as a 15-year trial, one of the largest women’s health studies in the...
Perimenopause is far more than a collection of symptoms to manage — it is a critical window of opportunity to protect long-term cardiovascular, skeletal, and cognitive health. The hormonal fluctuations of this transition are directly linked to cardiovascular risk, making proactive action during perimenopause one of the most important investments a woman can make in her future health. This article outlines a practical three-step perimenopausal game plan covering hormone replacement, resistance training, and time-restricted eating — grounded in current research and designed to build the physiological reserves needed for a healthy postmenopause.
Why does weight gain accelerate at menopause? Can estrogen dominance cause low cortisol? Is saliva testing better than blood? Hormone Health Educator Candace Burch of ZRT Laboratory answers the most common questions from women struggling with hormone-related weight gain — covering everything from adrenal fatigue and vitamin D deficiency to birth control, bioidentical progesterone and why “your hormones are fine” from a standard blood test may not tell the whole story.
Weight loss failure is rarely just about willpower or diet — hormones are almost always involved. In this Q&A, Dr. Alyssa Burns-Hill of ZRT Laboratory tackles the most common questions from people struggling to lose weight despite their best efforts: from thyroid interference by the contraceptive pill and stress-driven cortisol cravings, to estrogen-reducing supplements, natural progesterone for menopause, and why 5-HTP can be a game-changer for mood, sleep and comfort eating.
When sex hormone test results show both oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) within normal ranges, yet symptoms persist, the Pg/E2 ratio provides a critical additional layer of clinical insight. A low ratio points to oestrogen dominance; a high ratio to progesterone dominance — each requiring a different therapeutic response. This article explains how the ratio is calculated, when it is clinically relevant, and how a real-world case illustrates its practical value.
