1.   Another theory suggests that estrogen levels, which increase after ovulation, inhibit the release of serotonin in the brain.

2.   Also, a new type of drug, called aromotase inhibitors, may work better than tamoxifen in lowering estrogen levels and thus tumors in post-menopausal women.

3.   Among the women who drank the alcohol, the effect on estrogen levels was nearly immediate.

4.   And high circulating estrogen levels are a known cancer risk.

5.   A reduction in estrogen levels is believed to put smokers at less risk.

6.   But after menopause, when estrogen levels drop precipitously, women tend to switch to a male pattern of weight gain, accumulating fat around the abdomen.

7.   But during menopause, when estrogen levels dip, the thermostat becomes unstable.

8.   But the pill is increasingly being recommended for women approaching menopause whose own estrogen levels are dropping but who still face a risk of becoming pregnant.

9.   Dr. Teaff recommends that perimenopausal women who are experiencing symptoms have their estrogen level tested during the second, third or fourth days of the menstrual cycle.

10.   Drinking more than two drinks a day also elevates breast cancer risk, studies show, since alcohol appears to raise estrogen levels.