HORMONE HAVOC

Hormones affect these health issues: • Diabetes Ten percent of the U.S. population has diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough of the hormone insulin or can’t use the insulin it does make. Type 1 diabetes means your body produces very little or no insulin. Insulin is needed to regulate our blood sugar when we eat carbohydrate. • Hypogonadism Forty percent of men 45 years and older have low testosterone, which diminishes sexual function and can cause memory problems. • Osteoporosis More than half of people age 50 and older have osteoporosis, or low bone mass. It’s more common in women, since the hormone estrogen supports bone-producing cells, and estrogen decreases at menopause. • PCOS Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a leading cause of infertility, and affects between 5 and 10 percent of women 18 to 44 years old. This hormonal imbalance causes irregular periods, abnormal hair growth, acne, and weight gain. It can also lead to diabetes.