Hormone Health and Longevity: Making the Connection

In this episode, Yurth talks about some of the key considerations around hormone health in relation to longevity, including the following:

• While many hormones play various roles in the body, when it comes to longevity, the ones to focus on are the sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
• It’s common to think about estrogen and progesterone as female hormones and testosterone as a male hormone, but all three are equally important for both sexes.
• Research shows that hormone levels drop are dropping earlier in life, according to Yurth. For both men and women, optimal hormone levels tend to be in the early 20s, with men starting to see declines around age 25 and women around age 23.
• Environmental toxins, such as microplastics and chemicals like glyphosate, are hard to avoid; these endocrine disruptors interfere with hormone levels.
• Birth control pills are widely prescribed, yet Yurth stresses the importance of understanding how that medication can negatively affect hormone health.
• The Women’s Health Initiative study, which came out in 1991 and was designed to investigate the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in post-menopausal women, was cut short because researchers felt that hormone replacement was causing cancer. Yurth explains that study was misinterpreted and that there aren’t actually any studies that support the claim that estradiol causes cancer. She notes that there is a time and a place for HRT.
• Yurth also emphasizes understanding your hormones as soon as possible: The earlier you can address changes, the better. She speaks to a Stanford study that found that women who started on hormone replacement therapy at the onset of perimenopause had a marked reduction in atherosclerosis and cardiac disease risk.
• Because hormone imbalances aren’t always addressed by traditional medical providers, Yurth emphasizes the importance of being your own health advocate and being an active participant in your health trajectory.