The role of hormones in health and longevity
Key Takeaways
Sex hormones are those hormones with levels that are strongly influenced by a person’s biological sex.
These hormones include testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
Women normally have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, while men have higher levels of testosterone.
Levels of sex hormones have a major impact on many different body systems, including the bones, muscles, skin, brain, and cardiovascular system.
Blood tests are the most accurate way to measure the levels of these hormones.
If levels of testosterone or estrogen are too low or too high, longevity may be impacted.
Options for addressing imbalanced hormone levels include hormone therapy, weight loss, and resistance exercise.
Personalized advice from a licensed medical professional is important to ensure that you take the best steps for your particular situation.
General impact of hormones on our health
Hormones can have a huge impact on our health. There are quite a few different hormones, and researchers are constantly learning more about their effects. One important group is sometimes known as “sex hormones,” because the levels of these hormones are influenced by a person’s biological sex. This group includes hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
These hormones are important in sexuality and fertility, but they also have much more wide-ranging effects on a person’s health and well-being. The levels of these hormones have been shown to have effects across many different body systems. They’re known to influence:
Metabolic health
Bone density
Muscle mass and strength
Cardiovascular health
Skin thickness
Cognitive function
Energy levels
Immune system function
Metabolic health refers to how the body uses energy. When you have good metabolic health, your body is able to extract energy from food without large spikes in blood sugar or high levels of insulin. Sex hormones have a major impact on your metabolic health, and your levels of these hormones can impact your risk of metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
In short, the levels of sex hormones can influence the function of every body system. For people who are looking to improve their healthspan, optimizing the levels of these hormones is one important way to help maintain your well-being for as many years as possible.
Differences between genders
People of both genders actually have testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. However, the ratios of these hormones differ dramatically between men and women. There are also other differences between the genders in terms of how hormone levels change, both on a monthly basis and over the course of the lifespan. These differences influence how hormones impact health and longevity.
Men have relatively high levels of testosterone, and much lower levels of estrogen and progesterone. For women, this is reversed, with estrogen and progesterone levels being high and testosterone levels being much lower.
Hormone balance in women
Women have relatively high levels of estrogen and progesterone. (Estrogen is not a single hormone, but is actually a group of related hormones, with estradiol generally being the dominant form of estrogen.) During a woman’s premenopausal years, the levels of both estrogen and progesterone fluctuate over the course of the menstrual cycle. Women’s bodies also produce testosterone, although in much smaller amounts than estrogen and progesterone.
In late middle age, women experience menopause – generally in their late 40s or early 50s, although the specific age can vary somewhat. After menopause, a woman’s natural levels of estrogen and progesterone drop very low. She will no longer experience a monthly cycle. Although a woman’s testosterone levels also drop a bit after menopause, they don’t drop as much as estrogen and progesterone levels do.
The large fluctuations in hormone levels experienced around menopause can lead to significant symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats. More than 80% of women experience these symptoms as they’re going through menopause. Other symptoms related to low estrogen and progesterone levels, such as a loss of muscle mass and bone density, mood changes, and fatigue, are also common during and after the menopausal transition.
Estrogen also plays a major role in your metabolic health. A drop in estrogen levels increases insulin resistance throughout the body. This causes the body to secrete higher levels of insulin in order to process dietary carbohydrates. When insulin resistance gets worse, then blood sugar levels start to rise. This can lead to type 2 diabetes, as well as causing an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other serious medical conditions.
Low estrogen can also cause a woman’s fat tissue storage to shift towards the abdomen (rather than the hips, thighs, or buttocks). Fat around the abdomen is more damaging to a person’s health than fat in other locations. This shift in fat tissue further increases insulin resistance, and also increases the risk of serious medical conditions like heart disease.
Hormone balance in men
In men, the primary sex hormone is testosterone, which is actually part of a group of related hormones known as androgens. Men have relatively high levels of testosterone, and much lower levels of estrogen and progesterone.
Men do experience changes in hormone levels as they age, and studies have found that, starting around the age of 35 or 40, men’s testosterone levels decline by about 0.5% to 1% per year. This change is sometimes referred to as “andropause.” However, this term is controversial, as the gradual changes in hormone levels over a man’s lifespan aren’t the same as the rapid drop experienced by women during menopause.
Although the drop in hormone levels in men is not as sudden as it is in women, this doesn’t mean that men aren’t affected by hormone changes as they age. In fact, men may experience a variety of symptoms when their testosterone levels drop. These include symptoms similar to those experienced by many women after menopause, such as mood changes, fatigue, and a loss of muscle mass and bone density.
Similarly to estrogen, testosterone is also important for metabolic health. Low testosterone levels are associated with insulin resistance. This may lead to increased blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of serious medical conditions. In addition, low testosterone levels trigger the accumulation of abdominal fat, which further increases the risk of insulin resistance along with conditions like heart disease.
How are hormone levels measured?
The most accurate way to measure hormone levels is with a blood test. You don’t need to be fasting for this test (although you might need to be fasting for other tests being performed at the same time). You simply have your blood drawn in a lab, and then you’ll get the results of your hormone testing within a few days.
Although there are also saliva tests available, research has shown that the levels of hormones in saliva can fluctuate and are not a good reflection of the levels in the bloodstream. Beyond this, hormones in the bloodstream are available to your body’s cells and can affect body tissues, while hormones in your saliva don’t have the same effects. Because of this, it’s best to use a blood test to measure your hormone levels.
For women in their premenopausal years, it’s important to recognize that hormone levels vary considerably throughout the menstrual cycle. The specific time in your cycle that the testing is performed can have a major impact on the results. For consistency, hormone testing is often performed on day 3 of your cycle (the third day after your period starts). This allows for accurate comparisons between different months, so your hormones can be tracked over time.
However, other points in the menstrual cycle may be chosen. In some cases, testing is performed between day 19 and 21 of your cycle, which is known as the luteal phase and generally corresponds to the week after ovulation. This helps to evaluate the relative levels of estrogen and progesterone during a period when both of these are relatively high.
How are hormone levels related to longevity?
Many people are wondering whether their hormone levels are an indication of their likelihood of living a long and healthy life.
Estrogen appears to have a protective effect on health. Several research studies have found that higher estrogen levels in women are associated with a longer lifespan and a lower risk of serious diseases like strokes. It’s believed that the effects of estrogen may help to explain why women generally have a somewhat longer life expectancy than men do. However, very high levels of estrogen could lead to complications like uterine cancer, so it’s still important to find the right balance.
With testosterone, the story is more complicated. Some studies have found that low testosterone levels in men are linked to a higher risk of early death. However, other well-controlled studies actually indicate that high testosterone levels in older men are associated with a shorter lifespan and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers also believe that the damaging effects of too much testosterone could also be a contributing factor to men’s shorter life expectancy.
Both testosterone and estrogen are also important in maintaining metabolic health. When levels of these hormones drop, this can cause insulin resistance. Because insulin resistance is associated with a higher risk for many serious conditions, it significantly shortens both your lifespan and your healthspan. Keeping testosterone and estrogen levels balanced is one factor that’s important in maintaining your body’s insulin sensitivity.
Balance is likely to be the key. For men, having too little or too much testosterone may be harmful in different ways. For women, the same is true of estrogen. Getting your levels into the sweet spot, where you feel great and have lots of energy but you’re not causing harm to your body, will likely be best for your healthspan.
What can you do if your hormone levels are too low or too high?
If your hormone levels are not balanced, you might experience symptoms related to this, and your longevity could also be impacted. If testing shows that your levels of certain hormones are too low or too high, there are some steps you may be able to take to help bring these back into a more normal range.
The specific actions that you should take depend on many factors. These include the relative levels of various hormones, your current medical status, any other medical conditions you may have, and your goals for your health and well-being. Although these general guidelines may be helpful, you’ll need personalized medical advice to determine the best steps to take in your particular situation. Make sure to talk with a doctor to get this advice.
Hormone therapy
For people who have low levels of certain hormones, hormone therapy may be an option. This involves adding more of the hormone that’s low, in order to bring hormone levels back up into the normal range. This can be done in many ways, including pills, patches, and gels. (Sex hormones can be absorbed through the skin, so applying them topically is an effective way to raise your levels.)
Hormone therapy is relatively commonly used by women during the transition to menopause. This is usually known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but can also be called menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
HRT almost always includes replacing estrogen. For most women, it’s also important to take progesterone, because estrogen alone increases the risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). However, women who have had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) can potentially choose to take estrogen alone, without progesterone. Still, some women who are eligible to take estrogen alone choose to take progesterone as well.
The risks and benefits of HRT are currently a hotly debated topic amongst researchers and medical professionals. It’s clear that HRT helps with symptoms like hot flashes, and also helps to maintain bone mass. Some studies have also shown other benefits, like reducing the risk of heart disease and dementia, as well as a reduced risk of death. However, other studies have not shown these benefits. There are also some potential risks, including a possible increase in the risk of breast cancer if HRT is continued for the long term.
Each woman will need to talk over the potential risks and benefits with her own healthcare provider. It’s important to make an informed decision about whether or not you’d like to try HRT. There’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation for this; each woman will weigh the pros and cons of treatment differently.
Men who have low testosterone levels may choose to take testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Because high testosterone may carry its own risks, including increasing the risk of heart and liver disease, it’s important to be cautious with TRT. However, for some men who have low testosterone, taking a little bit of extra testosterone may help to improve symptoms like depression and increase muscle mass.
Weight management
High estrogen levels in both men and women can be caused by obesity, because fat tissue produces estrogen. If your estrogen levels are high and you’re significantly overweight, then losing some of the excess weight will likely help to balance your hormone levels. Low testosterone levels can also be a result of obesity.
Some people are able to accomplish significant weight loss through lifestyle changes alone, including a healthy diet and increased exercise. Many people find that having the support of a health coach is extremely helpful in developing and sticking to a healthy lifestyle plan.
Medications known as GLP-1 RAs have also been shown to help with weight loss. In fact, several medications in this class are approved for weight loss in Singapore. These are not used in place of healthy lifestyle changes, but rather are a potentially useful addition that may help to boost a person’s weight loss efforts. GLP-1 RAs are only available with a doctor’s prescription. To discuss the potential risks and benefits of taking these medications and to find out whether you would be a candidate, you’ll need to visit your doctor.
Resistance training
For men or women who have low testosterone, exercise may help to increase testosterone levels. The most effective type of exercise for increasing testosterone is resistance training. Examples of resistance training weightlifting, pulling on resistance bands, or body weight exercises (such as push ups).
Resistance training helps to maintain or increase muscle mass, which is strongly associated with longevity. Having more muscle mass and stronger muscles also improves a person’s daily function, allowing them to live independently for longer. Thus, muscle mass improves healthspan as well as lifespan.
Support for improving your healthspan
If you’re interested in longevity, there are a huge number of different tests available to help you understand your health status and optimize your lifestyle for the longest possible healthspan. Talking with a doctor will allow you to get personalized advice on which tests would be best in your particular case. You’ll also need a doctor’s prescription to get most of these tests.
Clients who choose our NOVI Assessment Max receive hormone tests along with a variety of other tests to help you understand the potential risks to your health and well-being. Over 80 biomarkers are tested, giving you a complete view of your health status. This information allows you to create a custom plan to improve your healthspan, and adjust it as needed. On your user-friendly dashboard, you’ll get clear insights into your test results, so you can prioritize key areas for action. You’ll also have the support of a team of health professionals, including health coaches, to help you develop and implement a holistic lifestyle plan that will work for you.