Arimidex®, An Aromatase Inhibitor, Is Not Just For Breast Cancer Anymore!
Channel: BioBalance Healthcast
Date: 08/03/2019

See all the Healthcasts at https://www.biobalancehealth.com/healthcast-blog


What is an AI?  It stands for Aromatase Inhibitor. This group of medications is an enzyme blocker that slows or stops the conversion of Testosterone into Estrone and Estradiol.  The common use, as stated by the FDA, is for Estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, to decrease the estrogen in the bloodstream that comes from testosterone.  In estrogen receptor positive tumors, we attempt to decrease the estrogen of any type so the breast cancer cells are literally starved for estrogen, which causes the cancer to shrink and die and prevents estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers from metastasizing.

AIs have become the most effective medical (vs surgical) treatment for ER+ Breast Cancer, and Arimidex® is the most common of the AIs because it has the fewest side effects and is the most effective.  This blog is about how doctors use aromatase inhibitors, “off-label”, for many other problems and conditions in both men and women.

What do AIs do?
They decrease estradiol and estrone blood levels and increase total and free testosterone.

What Conditions are AIs used for “off label”? 

There are many problems caused by too much estrogen in both men and women.  The following lists are some of the conditions that are aggravated by or caused by too much estrogen in women and men. 

• Endometriosis
• Fibroids in the uterus
• Excessive uterine bleeding
• Breast pain
• Obesity
• Infertility caused by anovulation and infrequent periods
• Polycystic ovaries
• Short stature
• Insulin resistance

Problems from too much estrogen in men:
• Gynecomastia—male breasts
• Short stature 
• Obesity
• Infertility 
• Low Testosterone
• Low free testosterone
• Insulin resistance


How Do AIs Work?

The natural process that the body uses to break down testosterone from the ovaries and testes, and androgens from the adrenal gland, to get rid of them and excrete androgens from the body is called aromatization.  The way this happens is that testosterone is broken down by an enzyme called aromatase (p19).  Enzymes are chemicals that break down all types of food, proteins, fats and carbohydrates in our body all day long.  I liken an enzyme’s activity to a shredder in the office.  An enzyme breaks up substances that the body has finished using, or substances that occur in excessive amounts to achieve balance within the body.    The aromatase enzyme is specialized to break down testosterone into estrogens, one step in the process of ridding itself of testosterone.  Other enzymes break down estrogen, and ready it for disposal.