Estrone

What is estrone?

Estrone is a female sex hormone. It’s the weakest of the three types of estrogen. Estrogen is one of the two main female sex hormones, along with progesterone.

After menopause, estrone is the only type of estrogen your body keeps making naturally. Males and females both make estrone. But males have much lower amounts

Other names for estrone include oestrone and E1.

What is the purpose of estrone?

Like other types of estrogen, estrone plays a role in female sexual function and reproductive health. But it isn’t as powerful as other types of estrogen. Your body can convert estrone into estradiol (a stronger form of estrogen) when needed.

Estradiol helps maintain natural female reproductive processes, like:

• Releasing mature eggs (ovum) during your menstrual cycle
• Thickening your uterine lining (endometrium) to prepare for pregnancy

Everyone has natural estradiol and estrone-converted estradiol, which help to maintain:

• Bone health
• Cognitive (thinking) function
• Production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels open

Estrone as medication

There’s also a laboratory-made form of estrone for certain medications, like hormone therapy creams. This is a treatment for menopause symptoms if they interfere with your life.

Where does estrone come from?

The adrenal glands and adipose tissue (body fat) make estrone for all sexes. In females, the ovaries also make estrone.

What conditions are related to estrone?

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

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

High estrone levels may increase tumor growth in breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

What causes high estrone?

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

• Breast cancer
• Treatment to reduce testosterone, like prostate cancer treatment

When do healthcare providers test estrone levels?

Your healthcare provider may want to check your estrone levels with a blood test if you:

• Have breast cancer
• Are getting prostate cancer treatment
• Continue to have symptoms of menopause

There may be other reasons for getting this test. Your provider will explain why.

Normal levels

In general, the normal estrone range for males is 15 to 65 pg/mL (picograms per milliliter).

For females, the normal estrone range varies:

• During the follicular phase: 100 to 250 pg/mL
• During the luteal phase: 15 to 200 pg/mL
• Postmenopause: 15 to 55 pg/mL

Laboratories may have different reference ranges for normal estrone levels. You shouldn’t compare values from one lab to another.

When you get the results, there’ll be information that indicates that lab’s normal range. If you have any questions about your results, ask your healthcare provider.