Estrone: Hormone Levels, Overview & Purpose (2024)

What conditions and disorders are related to estrone?

Experts don’t know all the ways that irregular estrone levels can affect people AFAB.

All types of low estrogen, including estrone, can increase your risk of osteoporosis. In people who continue to experience fatigue, hot flashes or low sex drive after menopause, low estrone could be the cause.

High estrone levels may increase the growth of breast cancer and uterine cancer.

What causes high estrone?

Some conditions can cause high estrone. Because estrone forms in fatty tissue, obesity can lead to more estrone production. Other causes of high estrone may include:

• Breast cancer.
• Treatment to reduce testosterone, such as prostate cancer treatment.

How do irregular estrogen levels affect your body?

Low or high estrogen levels can cause uncomfortable symptoms in people regardless of sex.

Low estrogen

In people AFAB, low estrogen can lead to:

• Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Dry skin.
• Irregular periods.
• Menstrual migraines, a headache right before your period starts.

In people AMAB, low estrogen may lead to:

• High belly fat.
• Low sex drive.

High estrogen

High estrogen can also cause problems. In people AFAB, it may cause:

• Depression or anxiety.
• Fatigue.
• Heavy or light periods.
• Low libido (sex drive).
• Noncancerous lumps in breast tissue (fibrocystic breast changes).
• Severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Uterine fibroids.
• Weight gain in the hips, thighs or waist.

For people AMAB, high estrogen may cause:

• Enlarged breast tissue (gynecomastia).
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Infertility.