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Total Cholesterol Reduced with Hormone Replacement to Youth Levels

by David G. Mills
(Memphis, Tennessee, USA)

Wray:

As you know I have been taking progesterone now for a year and a half and I began to wonder if progesterone's precursor, pregnenolone, might have some significant relation to cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol is a 27 carbon molecule which metabolizes into 21 carbon progestens -- first progenenolone, then progesterone. Pregnenolone also metabolizes to DHEA. Progesterone then metabolizes to 21 carbon mineral and gluco cortcoids. Progesterone also metabolizes to 18 carbon androgens (testosterone being the main one) and the androgens metabolize to 17 carbon estrogens. Basically this is a progression of high carbon molecules downsizing into lower carbon molecules.

It occurred to me that high cholesterol levels might be the body's response to an improper balance of, or lack of pregnenolone, and/or progesterone. Thankfully, it occurred to other researchers as well. In these two studies, normalizing prognenolone, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone to youthful levels significantly brought down total cholesterol and specifically LDL (the "bad" cholesterol). That should not be surprising since pregnenolone is metabolized from LDL.

So here are the two studies done by the same primary researcher:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12445520

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21407165


Once again I am going to be a guinea pig since my cholesterol is high, especially my LDL. So I will add pregnenolone and DHEA to my progesterone regimen and see what happens. I have two and a half months till I am due for my next cholesterol check.

Comments for Total Cholesterol Reduced with Hormone Replacement to Youth Levels

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May 31, 2013
 I'm not a scientific researcher
by: David G. Mills

And I realize I might have implied that. So I need to make sure that was not implied.
May 31, 2013
 Total Cholesterol Reduced with Hormone Replacement to Youth Levels
by: Wray

Hi David In no ways do I think you implied you were a scientific researcher, although you do spend time looking for solutions which I appreciate! I read the two studies with fascination, looked for more on the same lines but found none. It makes sense to me, besides which they had a positive result. I found the full paper, see here, as I needed to find out how much of each hormone was given. It does give the amounts used which varied. They don't give more details i.e. how much was given to men or to women. Interestingly they used a gel, but in cases where it wasn't absorbed well, they used drops. Gels do not carry hormones through the skin as effectively as creams, it was a pity they didn't use those in preference. The amount of progesterone was too low to my mind, 50-100mg/mL and it raised levels only slightly, although they thought satisfactorily. But then you know my views! I was startled at the elevated DHEAS in women, it's not something I feel they need too much of as it does convert to testosterone. It would be interesting to see the affect it has had on them now three years later. One thing which surprised me was the use of natural hormones. And in their discussion at the end they said the following which delighted me "The consequence and ramification of these results argue that the optimization of physiology or physiologic medicine should precede pharmacologic intervention. Physiologic medicine treats the symptoms of deficiency and imbalance. Pharmacologic medicine of cholesterol elevation interferes with normal physiologic mechanisms and is associated with numerous side effects. The mindset of our methodology is based on the optimization of human physiology with gentle assistance, whereas the root of the conventional treatment of hypercholesterolemia is based on "fighting" the body with drugs." I look forward to the results of your experiment! Take care Wray
Jun 12, 2013
 In my case this theory not valid
by: Corky

I usually have total cholesterol around 140-150, with really good HDL and LDL levels too. Even while I was young and eating high fatty diets, my total never changed.

I'm now menopausal and also low thyroid and take natural thyroid treatment and estrogen and progesterone.

My total cholesterol has dropped quite a bit down to 119, then 125, at the last two labs. Since I know I have low progesterone, one ovary, the other not functioning, this theory about high cholesterol being the cause of low progesterone would not be valid.

I'm am wondering if the opposite is true. That higher cholesterol means more production of prenenlone, and then more progesterone, DHEA, etc.

That conversion comes from cholesterol, so since mine is a bit too low, and I'm having issues, it makes more sense that higher cholesterol would give you more prenenlone.
Jun 14, 2013
 In my case this theory not valid
by: Wray

Hi Corky The issues you're having are because you insist on taking oestrogen. That is what's causing you problems, it's suppressing the progesterone, nothing to do with a high or low cholesterol. You might be interested to know that the so called 'bad' LDL cholesterol is vital for the production of progesterone.....something to think about! See "By default then, the major mechanisms for obtaining cholesterol are either the endocytosis of cholesterol rich low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the selective uptake of cholesterol esters from high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Whether LDL or HDL serves as the source of cholesterol for luteal steroidogenesis appears to be species dependent with mice, rats, and ruminants utilizing HDL and human, rhesus macaques, and porcine using primarily LDL." See here. Take care Wray

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