A
Amenorrhea
A cessation or absence of menstrual periods.
Androgens
Male hormones normally produced in small quantities by the female ovaries and adrenal glands, with the greatest quantities occurring at the midpoint of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Androgens are thought to promote a healthy sex drive and are sometimes prescribed as part of a full regimen of hormone replacement therapy.
Andropause
see male menopause.
Antioxidants
Certain vitamins, including vitamins A, C, E, and beta carotene, found in many brightly colored fruits and vegetables, considered to be important tools in warding off heart disease and some cancers and may even reduce age-related macular degeneration (age-related vision loss).
Atherosclerosis
A blood vessel condition that develops when the buildup of plaque on arterial walls narrows the arterial passage and thus limits the amount of blood that can flow through the arteries to nourish the heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs.
B
Biofeedback
A technique in which individuals are trained to monitor their breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure (with the use of various instruments), then change the rate of those functions through relaxation techniques or visual imagery.
Bioflavonoids
Naturally occurring plant substances found in many brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as cherries, oranges, other citrus fruits, grapes, leafy vegetables, wine, and some types of red clover. Bioflavonoids are being studied for the treatment of a number of conditions, including the control of bleeding, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.
BMI (body mass index)
A measurement of a person’s body fat, determined by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters (m) squared. It is used as an index of obesity.
C
Cardiovascular Disease
A term used to describe a variety of heart diseases, illnesses, and events that impact the heart and circulatory system, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
Chemotherapy
The use of potent medications to treat cancer, usually by affecting cells that are rapidly growing, such as the cancer cells themselves.
Coronary Artery Disease
A common form of heart disease that results when the heart receives inadequate amounts of oxygen-rich blood through its arteries. This disease usually occurs when arteries become lined with heavy deposits of plaque—a substance made up of fat and calcium in a condition known as atherosclerosis.
D
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
An important hormone in the female body that decreases as a woman ages and declines dramatically after menopause. DHEA is thought to combat memory and bone loss, and it may help to maintain breast and cardiovascular health.
Dendrites
The fine appendages at the ends of brain cells that transmit brain signals.
Depression
An emotional disorder characterized by extreme or prolonged feelings of sadness, despair, guilt, or hopelessness so debilitating that they affect one’s normal quality of life and/or work performance. (Also called “Major Depression”)
DHEA
See dehydroepiandrosterone.
E
Endometrial Cancer
Cancer of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus.
Endometrial Hyperplasia
A pre-cancerous condition of the endometrium that is typically diagnosed through a biopsy or sampling of the uterine lining, a procedure most doctors perform in their office.
Endometrium
The lining of the uterus.
Endorphins
Naturally occurring substances released by the brain that resemble opiates, and are theorized to be the brain chemicals that make you feel happy and content.
Estradiol
The main form of estrogen produced by the ovaries, and the most efficient and potent estrogen.
Estrogen
A female sex hormone produced by the ovaries, pituitary gland, and (in small quantities) by body fat. During puberty, estrogen stimulates the development of adult sex organs and the adult female breasts, hips, and buttocks. Estrogen helps to retain calcium in bones, regulates the balance of HDL and LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, and aids the maintenance of blood sugar level, memory functions, and emotional balance.
F
Fibroids, or Fibroid Tumors
Benign growths of muscle cells that develop within or on the uterine wall.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Hormone produced by the pituitary gland, promotes follicle development within the ovary, thus allowing certain eggs to mature and the follicle cells surrounding each egg to produce estrogen in preparation for fertilization.
FSH
See follicle stimulating hormone.
H
HDL Cholesterol
The high-density lipoprotein fraction of cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) that helps prevent heart disease by breaking up and carrying the low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) out of the bloodstream and into the liver for metabolism.
Heart Palpitations
The uncomfortable sensation that the heart is beating rapidly, out of sequence, too strenuously, or in some other abnormal fashion.
Hippocampus
The part of the brain responsible for creating, storing, and retrieving memory.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Therapy consisting of estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin designed to replace the loss of these hormones in menopause and thus combat the effects of this deficiency, including bone loss, vaginal atrophy, hot flashes, and other conditions. Used interchangeably with the term “Menopausal Hormone Therapy” or MHT.