You probably have heard the word ‘estrogen’, as it is one of the most important hormones in women. You might be surprised to know that oestrogen does not only present in the female body, but also in the male but with a smaller portion and often is negligible at most times. Estrogen does not only play a role in reproductive health, but also as a healthy body in general as it also works on various body parts such as brain, bone marrow and the brain. A person facing problems with oestrogen such as increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or irregular periods should ask a doctor about it to get the right treatment. In this article, we will be focusing on estrone.

            You may be wondering what estrone got to do with estrogen and some may even think it is a two different thing. Generally, estrogen is divided into three types, this includes estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) and estrone (E1). Estradiol is most dominant in females during the reproductive years and estriol is dominant in pregnancy. When a female reach menopause, estrone is the major form of estrogen. Estriol is only produced by the placenta, thus explaining why it is only present during pregnancy. While both estradiol and estrone are mainly produced in the ovaries, estrone is able to be produced in the fat tissues and the adrenal gland. Estrone is known to be the weakest form of estrogen and denoted as E1.

            Now you have a better understanding of what estrone is, what is exactly its function? Estrone acts as the last source of estrogen for postmenopausal women. This is in contrast with women in their reproductive years which treat estrone as a repository for oestrogens and only will convert it to become estradiol when it is needed. It is important for estrogen in this case estrone level to be normal for female across all ages, especially when they reach menopause. This is because low estrone is associated with high risk for osteoporosis, mood swings, hot flashes and low sex drive or low libido. Meanwhile, high estrone level is linked to risk for acquiring breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer.

            In order to know a person’s estrone level, they need to undergo a certain laboratory test. An estrone test usually is done through a blood test. In some places, a salivary test is available and it is much more convenient and less painful compared to blood tests. The normal range of estrone levels depends on the lab performing the test as different labs may have slight discrepancies of the values with other labs. Levels of estrone also differ according to a person’s age and gender.

Below are roughly the normal range for estrone for blood test:

1)  Male- 12 to 72 pg/mL for adult, level can be lower in younger men and adolescent boys

2)  Female- this could be tricky to understand and can be bit complicated as it ranges as according to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause.

1-  During period to ovulation (follicular phase): 37 to 138 pg/mL.

2-  Ovulation time: 60 to 229 pg/mL.

3-  The last two weeks leading to the next period (luteal phase): 50 to 114 pg/mL

4-  Postmenopausal women: 14 to 103 pg/mL

5-  Pregnant women: up to 11,500 pg/mL

6-  Younger women: lower level of estrone, most will reach the same as adult after the first period

Below are normal range for saliva tests:

1)  Male- 1.3 to 3.6 pg/mL

2)  Female- premenopausal women: 3.2 to 7.9 pg/mL, postmenopausal women: 0.9 to 3.1 pg/mL

            If you find yourself with symptoms associated with hormone issues or have reached menopause, you should seek medical advice as they can help provide the right therapy or support to help alleviate those symptoms.