Your Hormones Do Way More Than You Think—And Tech Is Finally Catching Up

Female hormones influence far more than reproduction—they affect your heart, brain, immune system, and even your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Now, innovative startups are racing to fill massive gaps in women's hormonal health with real-time tracking technology that goes beyond traditional fertility monitoring.

Why Have We Been Missing the Bigger Picture?

The problem starts with research priorities. Only 12% of scientific journals on gynecology and obstetrics focus on women's health issues unrelated to reproduction, while a mere 4% examine women's health before and after their reproductive years. This narrow focus has left huge knowledge gaps about how hormones affect women throughout their entire lives.

But the science is catching up, revealing connections that might surprise you. Higher testosterone-to-estradiol ratios in postmenopausal women are linked to elevated cardiovascular disease risk, while estrogen deficiency can worsen periodontal disease and increase tooth loss. Even more striking, 98% of women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report cognitive and mood changes that correspond to hormonal fluctuations.

What Health Conditions Are Actually Connected to Your Hormones?

Research is uncovering hormonal influences across multiple body systems that were previously overlooked. The connections span from autoimmune diseases to neurodegenerative conditions:

• Cardiovascular Health: Postmenopausal women with higher testosterone-to-estradiol ratios face increased heart disease risk, while low free testosterone in diabetic postmenopausal women correlates with higher cardiovascular mortality
• Brain Health: Steroid hormones affect both neurons and brain support cells, influencing Alzheimer's risk and resilience, while estrogen level fluctuations throughout women's lives correlate with higher Parkinson's disease risk
• Mental Health: Women face twice the risk for anxiety and depression compared to men, with sex hormone fluctuation identified as a major biological factor
• Immune Function: Clear evidence shows sex steroids play crucial roles in immune disturbances that result in autoimmune diseases

The challenge is that hormones fluctuate hourly, daily, and across life stages, meaning single-point blood tests miss the dynamic patterns that actually matter for health.

How Is Technology Revolutionizing Hormone Tracking?

The femtech industry is responding with innovative solutions that make hormone tracking accessible and continuous. Hormonal health has become the fastest-growing femtech vertical in Europe, with startups developing everything from saliva-based trackers to next-generation wearables.

Leading companies are moving beyond traditional fertility focus. Inne, a German-UK company that raised €18.8 million, achieved a regulatory milestone as the first saliva-based contraception certified in the UK and Europe in June 2025. Meanwhile, Eli Health from Canada raised $12 million in June 2025 for their real-time hormone insights through saliva-testing sticks, currently tracking cortisol with plans to add progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol.

Other innovators are targeting specific life stages. Hormony in Singapore focuses specifically on perimenopause tracking by measuring estrogen, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) through rapid at-home saliva tests. Hormona, a UK-Sweden company that raised $6.7 million in seed funding in 2025, uses artificial intelligence to analyze long-term hormone patterns for conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), irregular cycles, and perimenopause.

The shift toward continuous tracking represents the most transformative change in women's health monitoring. Unlike traditional single-point tests that provide just snapshots, these technologies capture hormone dynamics in real time, offering insights that were previously impossible to obtain outside of laboratory settings.