Hormonal Proportionality Balance describes the state where the relative concentrations of different hormones—such as the ratio of free testosterone to estradiol or the balance between T3 and reverse T3—are maintained within a narrow, functionally optimal window. This proportionality is often more indicative of systemic health than absolute levels alone. Clinical assessment focuses heavily on these ratios.
Origin
This concept evolved from clinical endocrinology as practitioners observed that patients presented with symptoms even when individual hormone levels fell within broad reference ranges. It highlights the interconnected, ratio-dependent nature of the endocrine system.
Mechanism
Achieving proportionality relies on precise, hierarchical control from the hypothalamus and pituitary, ensuring that the output of downstream glands respects the required stoichiometric relationships for cellular signaling fidelity. Perturbations in one axis, like chronic stress elevating cortisol, invariably shift the proportionality of other axes, such as suppressing the gonadal axis.
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