Perimenopause is the phase between a woman’s reproductive years and menopause, marking the end of monthly bleeding cycles. During this transition, hormone levels change significantly. There are fluctuations in progesterone, but mainly a decline in estrogen. This drop in estrogen can cause both physical and emotional symptoms.…
The ZRT Laboratory Blog
The numbers are grim. It is estimated that by 2050, 13.8 million Americans will be living with Alzheimer’s disease of which over 9 million will be women. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is the only disease of the nation’s 10 most common causes of death that has no highly effective pharmaceutical treatment.…
Tags: women, Alzheimer's, Estrogen
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children; however, boys are diagnosed two to nine times more often than girls are. Girls do have ADHD, but it often goes unnoticed because it can present much differently than it does in boys. Girls tend to be quiet and inattentive whereas boys tend to be active and disruptive.…
Tags: ADD and ADHD, women, Menopause, Estrogen
Almost certainly, women between the ages of 60 and 90 remember the shocking healthcare news in 2002 with the unexpected, early termination of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a long-term national health study. The release of the initial results of the trials rocked the medical establishment and profoundly changed the lives of many women. Additionally, the news altered the perception of the routine, menopausal hormone replacement prescription for years to come.…
When women enter menopause about 45-50 years of age, their estrogen and progesterone drop precipitously, causing a long list of unpleasant symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. The drop in estrogen also leads to greater risk for cardiovascular disease and accelerated bone loss that may lead to osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. Women are faced with making a decision to start taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to hopefully alleviate most of the symptoms and risks associated with menopause.…
Tags: Menopause, Estrogen, Progesterone, Hormone Replacement Therapy
It’s an everyday occurrence when someone calls the doc line at the lab and wants to know how they can change the labs to improve their patients’ symptoms. However, it’s important to take a step back and look at what labs can tell us. While it’s true that abnormal lab findings can contribute to symptoms – high thyroid-stimulating hormone reflects hypothyroidism, high testosterone reflects polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyperandrogenism or low cortisol may contribute to fatigue. Yet, in many other conditions, labs reflect the medical condition happening in that patient’s body and not a cause of the problems. Let’s look at a couple of examples of this chicken-and-egg discussion.…
Tags: Cortisol, Estrogen, Testosterone, Menopause
For the past 4 weeks, each morning for me starts with a cup of coffee and a side of news about the global health pandemic in which we’re living. Invading our world rapidly, forcing everything to look different today compared to just a month ago, COVID-19 has everyone on high alert! Throughout the rest of my day, I allow myself to be interrupted by articles about the virus, nurturing the feelings…
Tags: Adrenal and Cortisol, Androgen, Cortisol, Covid19, Estrogen, Hormone Testing, Hormone Balance, Immune System, Selenium, Stress, Zinc, Vitamin D
Menopause can be a confusing time for many women and their families, and as a society we tend to steer away from having open, honest conversations about this very important transition in a woman’s life. At ZRT, we aim to change that and equip all woman with the tools and resources necessary to maintain optimal health during their menopause transition and after. In this post, ZRT’s Clinical…
Tags: Menopause, Progesterone, Estrogen, Depression, Anxiety, Weight Management, Sleep, Thyroid Health
The Compounding Pharmacy industry has certainly taken huge strides in providing devices that allow for easy and accurate delivery of creams, gels and ointments. This has been especially appreciated in the field of hormone replacement, where accurate dosing is critical. Over the years we have gone from jars and measuring spoons to syringes for hormone cream dispensing. Fortunately, now there are…
Tags: Hormone Replacement Therapy, Estrogen, Testosterone, Hormone Balance, Saliva Testing
Growing up, I never thought of myself as a runner, or really a good athlete in general. I played every sport possible as a kid growing up in Minnesota, but I was never great, which is why I never played high school sports (other than trying cross country skiing the one year we didn’t end up having any snow…). As an adult, I started playing team sports again and eventually was convinced to run a…
Tags: Athletes, Testosterone, Estrogen, Progesterone, Thyroid Health, Vitamin D, Neurotransmitters
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