Progesterone Progesterone levels are low in children and postmenopausal women. Adult males have levels similar to those in women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Blood test results should always be interpreted using the reference ranges provided by the laboratory that performed the results. Example reference ranges are listed below. Progesterone is produced in high amounts in the ovaries (by the corpus luteum) from the onset of puberty to menopause, and is also produced in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands after the onset of adrenarche in both males and females. To a lesser extent, progesterone is produced in
Progesterone progesterone levels in both males and females. Previous studies have shown that progesterone supports the normal development of neurons in the brain, and that the hormone has a protective effect on damaged brain tissue. It has been observed in animal models that females have reduced susceptibility to traumatic brain injury and this protective effect has been hypothesized to be caused by increased circulating levels of estrogen and progesterone in females. The mechanism of progesterone protective effects may be the reduction of inflammation that follows brain trauma and hemorrhage. Damage incurred by traumatic brain injury is believed to be caused in