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Metabolism of Estrogen and Testosterone and Their Role in the Context of Metabolic Diseases

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Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases

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Abstract

Sex hormones define the fundamental sexual differences between men and women. Production and secretion of sex hormones are regulated by negative feedback in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. The main action of sex hormones exerts through nuclear receptors. The main female hormone is estrogen. Estrogen plays an important role in bone metabolism, whose main effect is inhibition of bone resorption and promotion of bone formation. The decrease of estrogen after menopause is the main contributor of osteoporosis in women, which results in seven- to tenfold higher risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women compared to men. Testosterone, the major male sex hormone, increases muscle mass and reduces visceral fat. Deprivation of testosterone for the treatment of prostate cancer increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. However, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and polycystic ovary syndrome, which are a state of hyperandrogenism in women, is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea

    Chang Ho Ahn & Sung Hee Choi

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  1. Chang Ho Ahn
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  2. Sung Hee Choi
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Correspondence to Sung Hee Choi .

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea (Republic of)

    Nayoung Kim

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Ahn, C.H., Choi, S.H. (2022). Metabolism of Estrogen and Testosterone and Their Role in the Context of Metabolic Diseases. In: Kim, N. (eds) Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-0119-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-0120-1

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