Aromatization
Also called Aromatase activity, androgen-to-estrogen conversion
Aromatization is the process by which the body converts androgens, the group of hormones that includes testosterone, into estrogens. The conversion is carried out by an enzyme called aromatase, which is made from instructions in the CYP19A1 gene.
How much aromatization happens depends on the tissue. In women before menopause, aromatase is most active in the ovaries. In men, it is most active in fat (adipose) tissue. In both sexes the estrogen it produces helps regulate bone growth and blood sugar.
Why it matters after 45
After menopause, when the ovaries stop producing estradiol, the main estrogen left is estrone, made largely in body fat and the adrenal glands. In men, aromatization is the route by which testosterone becomes estrogen, so the term comes up when estradiol is tested alongside testosterone. Because the process takes place mostly in fat tissue in men, changes in body composition in midlife are part of the same conversation. When aromatase activity is unusually high, as in the rare inherited condition aromatase excess syndrome, males can develop breast enlargement.
Where it comes up
Related terms
References
- MedlinePlus Genetics. CYP19A1 Gene. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/cyp19a1/
- MedlinePlus. Estrogen Levels Test. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/estrogen-levels-test/
- MedlinePlus Genetics. Aromatase Excess Syndrome. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/aromatase-excess-syndrome/
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