Step I menstrual cycle help

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step1april2013

step1april2013

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10+ Year Member
Why does unopposed estrogen lead to anovulatory cycles? I thought estrogen was responsible for the LH surge, which induces ovulation.
 
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Unopposed estrogen does not lead to anovulatory cycles.

You may be confusing the basic principle of unopposed estrogen leading to endometrial hyperplasia.
 
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FSH and LH are responsible for the estrogen surge and then LH surge and ovulation, but estrogen actually inhibits FSH and LH at the end of the cycle.
 
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In PCOS we don't really know for sure what's causing the anovulation. There's some element of insulin resistance and hypothalamic-pituitary axis derangement but I don't think the science is settled.

In newly menstrating females and perimenopausal women we see anovulation because of hypothalamic-pituitary axis irregularity.
 
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ijn said:
In PCOS we don't really know for sure what's causing the anovulation. There's some element of insulin resistance and hypothalamic-pituitary axis derangement but I don't think the science is settled.

In newly menstrating females and perimenopausal women we see anovulation because of hypothalamic-pituitary axis irregularity.
Click to expand...

It's highly correlated with obesity too... we know adipocytes hormonally communicate with the hypothalamic-pituitary axis... .so it could be something along that line....

...but as for step I... it's definitely not going to be on there..
 
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After you do your OB/Gyn clerkship you'll see plenty of whales that are G10P9... 😀, so there's a bit more to the story. Definitely lots of room for enterprising researchers.
 
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The specific phrase "unopposed oestrogen" relates to a risk factor for endometrial (and other) cancers,

but the poster is right in the sense that a high oestrogen/progesterone ratio leads to an increased LH/FSH pulse frequency, which in turn leads to PCOS and anovulation.

But for clarity, don't use the phrase "unopposed oestrogen" for PCOS. Just use it as a cancer risk factor.
 
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