Category Archives: Hormones

5 Surprising Menopause Symptoms — According To Dr. Felice Gersh

August 19, 2022

While menopause is predominately considered to impact the reproductive system with hormonal fluctuations causing hot flashes, night sweats, and other undesirable symptoms, it is a whole-body transition that involves many different systems. As a result, many women may not be aware that their symptoms are tied to endocrine imbalances, leaving them overlooked and untreated.

“This link of the so-called sex hormones to all body systems is what is behind the surprising menopause symptoms in organs and structures that are not recognized as being highly regulated by the ovarian hormones,” A4M faculty member Felice Gersh, MD, told Well+Good in a recent interview.

A frequent and popular A4M speaker, Dr. Gersh is a board-certified OB/GYN, founder of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, and the author of Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know. During her interview with Well+Good contributor Isadora Baum, Dr. Gersh outlined five surprising symptoms of menopause that are not commonly associated with the condition yet are essential to recognize and take into clinical consideration.

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NAMS Releases New Guidelines for Hormone Therapy 

July 21, 2022

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) recently released its 2022 Guidelines for Hormone Therapy, an update to its 2017 statement that includes significant additions based on the most current scientific evidence. To provide comprehensive and verified guidelines, NAMS recruited an Advisory Panel of experts in the field to review its 2017 Position Statement, evaluate new literature, assess the evidence, and develop updated recommendations.

The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement reflects the latest research findings and recommendations, further clarifies the balance of risks and benefits of hormone therapy, and provides guidance on additional aspects of health care management relevant to patients experiencing menopause symptoms.

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Men’s Health Month: What You Need To Know About Low Testosterone

June 16, 2022

June celebrates National Men’s Health Month, an annual observance that aims to bring awareness to health issues specific to men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health stigma, and hormone imbalances specific to men. One such condition – which can affect both men and women – is low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism.

Testosterone is responsible for many biologic functions, including the development of bones and muscles, energy metabolism, and sex drive. In males specifically, the hormone regulates hair growth, deepening of the voice, and sperm production.

Low testosterone is a hormonal disorder in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is estimated that between 4 and 5 million men in the United States, or approximately 2 in 100 men, have testosterone deficiency, and its prevalence is substantially higher in older males, with nearly 40% of men aged 45 and older presenting with low levels of the hormone.

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