Nurture female health across life stages

Our female Sapiens experts – including medical doctors – use our stress-hormone panels to support women preparing for fertility, to self-care in the case of irregular cycles or navigating (peri-)menopause with fewer symptoms. Over 20% of our clients are senior female executives in (peri-)menopause, and our reports are tailored to female health by comparing your data to women in your age group (not male-based norms) and by considering female health specifics in all our interventions.

Chronic stress and cortisol dysregulation can be an upstream factor in menstrual cycle irregularities, fertility and menopause. For example, hair cortisol has been linked to pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing IVF (Massey et al., 2016). Chronic stress can also disrupt the female cycle by activating the stress system (HPA axis) and lowering the brain signals that trigger ovulation (Saadedine et al., 2023; Gordon et al., 2017).

In menopause research, higher hair cortisol has been associated with more frequent hot flashes, and a flatter diurnal cortisol slope with greater hot flash severity (Gibson et al., 2016). Vasomotor symptoms during perimenopause have also been associated with a blunted cortisol awakening response (Sauer et al., 2020).

In women with stress-related cycle loss (hypothalamic amenorrhea), studies have found higher 24-hour cortisol output compared with women with regular cycles (Suh et al., 1988).

While chronic stress is not the whole picture of female health, our experts support in helping you reduce chronic stress and balance cortisol so that you have less symptoms or challenges during life transitions.