Glossary
A B E G H M N O P W
Acquired hypogonadism
A person who is not born with hypogonadism but suffers from this condition after failure of the gonads, ovaries for a woman and testes for a man
Typically treated in men of all ages but not in women over age 50 even though it is medically appropriate to treat adults of all ages
Age related ovarian failure
Ovarian failure as a result of the depletion of eggs in the ovary over time
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Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
Surgical removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes Results in gonad hormone levels identical to ovarian failure (menopause)
Bio-identical hormones
Hormone preparations which contain hormones that are identical in chemical structure to the hormones that the human body produces
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Endocrinology
The subspecialty branch of Internal Medicine concerned with the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of disorders that affect endocrine organs which secrete the regulatory hormones of the body.
Such endocrine organs and their hormones include the pituitary gland (master gland) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leutinizing hormone (LH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL)and antidiuretic hormone(ADH); the endocrine pancreas and insulin; the thyroid gland and thyroid hormones thyroxine(T4) and triiodothyronine (T3); the parathyroid gland and parathyroid hormone (PTH); the adrenal gland cortex and cortisol and aldosterone production; and the gonads (ovaries in females and testes in males) which produce estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
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Gold standard
The best and most effective treatment for a specific ailment or illness
Gonad
An endocrine organ, ovary for a woman, testis for a man
Gonadal failure
Failure of the gonads, ovary for the woman, testis for the man See also menopause, acquired hypogonadism
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Hormone therapy (HT)
Hormone replacement that results in improved, long term health
Examples :
insulin replacement, thyroid replacement
Following the failure of the Women's Health Initiative, Premarin® is now called hormone therapy. Premarin® does not result in improved long term health and therefore cannot be considered therapy for the treatment of hypogonadism
Hormones
Chemical substances produced by the endocrine organs of the body which exert specific regulatory effects upon the activity of certain cells or other organs
HRT
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Physiologic, bio-identical replacement, replacing what the body no longer makes
Suitable for long term use for chronic hormone deficiencies
Premarin® is not HRT as it is not replacement or therapy
Examples :
insulin replacement, thyroid replacement, growth hormone replacement
Hypogonadism
Lower than normal levels of gonad hormones from decreased production or failure of the gonads, ovary for the woman and testes for the man, see perimenopause.
Symptoms of hypogonadism are identical for women and men
Effectively treated with physiologic, bioidentical hormone replacement regimens
Example : sleep disruption, loss of sexual function, loss of cognitive function
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Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)
Treatment for hypogonadism
Menopause
Chronic hormone deficiency due to ovarian failure resulting in lower than normal hormone levels
often goes untreated or undertreated since no treatment guidelines exist due to lact of clinical trails on physiologic replacement.
Untreated menopause is untreated hypogonadism
See hypogonadism
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Non-physiologic hormone replacement
Hormones that are not native to humans taken in dosages not normally found in the body
Hormones administered in a way which disrupts other hormone levels or metabolic activity
Examples :
Premarin®, Provera®, Menest®, Estratest®
These are not HRT as these hormone preparations are not physiologic, bio-identical hormone replacement
see Women's Health Initiative
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Oophorectomy
Surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries
Ovarian failure
The failure of the ovaries to produce ovarian hormones
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Peri-menopause
A syndrome characterized by a constellation of symptoms which include irregularity in the menstrual cycles, sleep difficulties, alterations in libido and vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, all of which occur as a consequence of a fall in the physiologic concentrations of the ovarian hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Profound hypogonadism
Complete gonad failure, also see menopause
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Women's Health Initiative (WHI)
Large, National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored clinical trial which tested the effectiveness Premarin® in the prevention of heart disease.
Premarin® is a non-physiologic, non-bioidentical hormone preparation
