Dr. Brendan McCarthy

The Truth About Estrone: What Your Lab Work Isn’t Telling You

Dr. Brendan McCarthy

Show Notes

Join Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer at Protea Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona, for a deep, practical breakdown of estrone—one of the most misunderstood and under-tested hormones in women’s health. In this episode, Dr. McCarthy explains:

Why estrone matters far more than most routine labs suggest

How estrone relates to inflammation, insulin resistance, body fat, and chronic disease

What your estrone actually tells you about your metabolic load

How phase 1 and phase 2 liver detox pathways determine whether estrogen becomes helpful or harmful

How to use food, supplements, and prescriptions appropriately based on your labs

Red flags to watch for with boutique labs, overpriced clinics, and “hormone hacks”

You’ll learn exactly how clinicians should evaluate estrone, how to interpret the estrone–estradiol ratio, and how to identify where estrogen metabolism is blocked so you can take meaningful steps toward better health. If you find this helpful, please subscribe and share it with someone who wants real, evidence-based hormone education.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy: Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

More from Dr. Brendan McCarthy

Sep 17, 2026

Progesterone plays an important role in regulating the uterine lining, especially during the perimenopause years when ovulation becomes less consistent and estrogen may remain present without adequate progesterone. In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy discusses the relationship between estrogen, progesterone, and the endometrium, including why heavier or changing menstrual cycles shouldn't simply be dismissed as “part of perimenopause.”

Sep 10, 2026

Why does progesterone help one woman sleep, feel calm, and finally feel like herself again—while another woman feels anxious, restless, or completely unlike herself? The answer may have a lot to do with how progesterone enters the body and what it becomes after you take it. In Part 11 of this progesterone series, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down why the route of administration matters when using bioidentical oral micronized progesterone. Oral, transvaginal, transrectal, topical, and sublingual routes can influence how progesterone is metabolized and where its effects are felt.

Sep 3, 2026

Does progesterone cause breast cancer—or could it actually play a protective role in the body? The answer isn't as simple as the headlines make it seem. In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down one of the most confusing conversations in hormone health: the difference between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins. Not all medications called “progesterone” are the same. They may protect the uterine lining in similar ways, but they can behave very differently throughout the body.

Aug 27, 2026

How you receive estrogen matters. In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down the different ways estrogen can be delivered — including oral estrogen, topical/transdermal estrogen, injections, and pellets — and explains why the route of delivery can change how the hormone behaves in your body. He discusses first-pass metabolism, estrone conversion, transdermal delivery, vaginal estrogen, injection esters, pellets, lab monitoring, and why informed consent and ongoing follow-up are essential to hormone replacement therapy. Most importantly, this episode is about understanding your options. You deserve to know what you're taking, how it's being delivered, what it may do, what the risks are, and how your provider plans to monitor you.

Aug 20, 2026

Vaginal and urinary symptoms are common during perimenopause and menopause—but understanding why they happen and how different forms of estrogen work can be confusing. In Episode 8 of this hormone series, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down the relationship between systemic estrogen, vaginal estrogen, estradiol, estriol, testosterone, and the genitourinary symptoms many women experience during menopause. He discusses:

See all episodes →