ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Aromatase inhibitors are also used as a type of hormone therapy for the treatment of obesity. While not universally prescribed, they are sometimes used to treat people who have severe forms of obesity, especially in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Aromatase inhibitors come from a certain category of medicines that work mainly by inhibiting the production of the estrogen hormone in the body. Even when a woman has stopped menstruating, her body can still produce some small amounts of estrogens in the fat cells and adrenal gland, especially if your body is at its most active at the beginning of pregnancy. These drugs have been found to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer in women with premenopausal stage, in addition to helping to keep the weight loss that women who have obesity undergo.
Estrogens are essential for the body’s ability to regulate metabolism, as well as for the growth and development of tissues. They also help to maintain the balance of blood sugar, hormones, and nutrients that your body needs at the same time. For example, estrogens play a vital role in maintaining bone density. The body has the ability to naturally produce and release estrogen in small amounts, but there is a natural production of estrogens in men that only increases when they reach puberty.
Aromatase is not the only compound that the body produces naturally to make itself more resistant to certain conditions and illnesses. Progesterone is also produced by the ovaries in women who have undergone surgery, or during early pregnancy. Progesterone has the same function as estrogen, but it has a completely different action. It helps control the menstrual cycle, blood pressure, and insulin levels. However, these activities also cause an increased production of estrogens by the ovaries. By using aromatase inhibitors, you can reduce the amount of estrogens that are produced, thereby reducing the amount of estrogens in your system, and thus decreasing the production of progesterone, and thus decreasing the chances of developing breast or other types of cancer.
The use of Aromatase Inhibitors with female patients led to the understanding and application of the class of medication to help control estrogen in men, specifically when undergoing Testosterone Replacement Therapy.