As a woman gets older, her body will go through many changes, including a reduction in the production of estrogen, says Ansbacher. Looking at data, it's clear just how important a role estrogen plays in a woman's health. Between age 35 and 50, men have a higher incidence of heart disease than their sisters of the same age. The rate of heart disease among women and men evens out. Ansbacher says at least 70 percent of menopausal women would benefit from estrogen replacement therapy.
Women produce a hormone called androstenedione which comes from the adrenal gland.
It is converted to estrogens in the peripheral tissues, the fatty tissues, in women. A woman who has more fat stores usually has more production of estrogen than a woman who is very thin or is very athletic. Others, he notes, shouldn't use estrogen replacement. There are probably two or three conditions where you want to limit estrogenic use, including acute and chronic liver disease. Women considering hormone replacement therapy should discuss their female family history with their physicians.