Progesterone/[email protected]

Progesterone (abbreviated as P4), also known as pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione,is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species.It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens,and is the major progestogen in the body. Progesterone is also a crucial metabolic intermediate in the production of other endogenous steroids, including the sex hormones and the corticosteroids, and plays an important role in brain function as a neurosteroid.

The use of progesterone and its analogues have many medical applications, both to address acute situations and to address the long-term decline of natural progesterone levels. Because of the poor bioavailability of progesterone when taken orally, many synthetic progestins have been designed with improved oral bioavailability and have been used long before progesterone formulations became available.

Progesterone is a female Progesterone Hormones important for the regulation of ovulation and menstruation.
Women take progesterone by mouth for inducing menstrual periods who have not yet reached menopause but are not having periods due to a lack of progesterone in the body; and treating abnormal uterine bleeding associated with hormonal imbalance, and severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). progesterone is also used to prevent overgrowth in the lining of the uterus in postmenopausal women who are receiving estrogen hormone replacement therapy. Progesterone is also used in combination with the hormone estrogen to “oppose estrogen” as part of hormone replacement therapy. If estrogen is given without progesterone, estrogen increases the risk of uterine cancer.