Why Is There Media Hype Surrounding Menopause And Hormones

There are over 40 million women in the United States between the ages of 40 and 60. Worldwide, about 25 million women enter menopause annually. Estimates show that by the year 2030, that number will increase to 47 million women per year. Relief of menopausal symptoms such as improved sleep could translate into a more productive woman whether she works or is a mother or spouse. Healthcare dollars could then be spent more wisely than in Medicare reimbursements for constant doctor visits and endless prescriptions and procedures. Quality of life would improve for most symptomatic women. How? By way of hormone replacement, an important choice for women, since estrogens are known to be the only effective treatment for estrogen-depleted states.

In the wake of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), getting hormones is difficult. Doctors are leery of even the "Standard of Care" approved synthetics in this time and place. Getting legitimate insurance-covered physicians to prescribe even bio-identical hormones is a challenge.

The majority of Western medicine has been on a wild goose chase for the elusive proof that being completely hormone-less will save our lives, in the face of massive evidence that even with all of our estrogen blocked at every turn, we still keep dying of cancer. In the burst of the Baby Boomers becoming menopausal, doctors from all specialties have clamored to the forefront to be of service. Few doctors have any idea how hormones should be prescribed for women.

Since 1900, in the developed countries, the life expectancy of women has increase from age 47 to well over age 80, however, the average onset of menopause has remained at 50 as recorded for the last 150 years. That means most women are living at least thirty years longer than they did at the turn of the century. It's estimated that eighty percent of women experience a variety of transiently debilitating symptoms in menopause and 30 percent of those are classified as severe.

About ten years before women ever have a hot flash or a migraine, we have odd, too-short menstrual periods, we're up half of every night and we start to look and feel old. Exhaustion coupled with plummeting sex hormones creates a life in tatters. Our joints twinge and we can't stay asleep. The symptoms of menopause, which can begin for women as early as their late thirties, are the same as the daily challenges the elderly face, and in fact, we get "old and sick" when our hormones start to plummet.

The sick and old in our culture means usually means cancer, diabetes, heart disease, glaucoma, depression, even Alzheimer's. If menopause might really equal cancer, diabetes, heart disease, glaucoma, depression, and Alzheimer's, why is it, then, that no one ever mentions any of the life-threatening disabilities associated with hormonal decline and urges women to accurately replace those hormones that are now missing?

Instead, women are told that the FDA sanctioned hormones from Big Pharma are really way too dangerous to take (WHI) and bioidentical compounded hormones have never been studied (AMA). That's what women in 2003 got from the WHI historic report on synthetic drugs with hormone-like effects, PremPro and Premarin.

These substances were donated by the pharmaceutical company that had sold them since 1942 because the assumption was the drugs would be found safe and effective. Nothing could have been further from the truth. After nearly 800 million taxpayer dollars and 14 years later, the overly emphasized negative results of the Women's Health Initiative were released in May 2002. This study was poorly designed, strangely monitored and incompetently analyzed.

Interestingly, the WHI never looked at hormones, only drugs with "hormone-like" effects that were dosed in a regimen far from that of human replacement. This study has led us to believe that conjugated equine estrogens (from pregnant mare urine) and a synthetic progestin (Prempro) dosed on a daily basis in static doses is clearly very harmful to women after only a few years, and yet, in contradictory reports from the same agency, PremPro seemed to have had positive effects as well. The other drug studied, daily Premarin, seemed to show substantially less harmful effects. Even though the death rate for all arms of this study was equal, the study was dramatically halted early in a very public effort to "save lives."

This confusing and frightening media spin caused millions of women to immediately stop taking their Premarin or Prempro, or any other product deemed a hormone. Physicians also threatened by the negative media reports stopped prescribing them, thus leaving millions of symptomatic women without any reasonable clinical guidance, except the ludicrous exception to the bad news, that lower doses of Prempro, the killer drug, taken for less years is safer. This advice has not left women feeling safe.

What if real hormone replacement could really mimic youthful hormone levels and therefore; was a cure for those diseases? After all, young women don't have those diseases and the difference between young women and old women is reproductive capacity and the attendant hormones. It's logical that the majority of women with normal hormones don't have those diseases.

Common sense is that natural (not synthetic drugs with hormone-like effects) hormone replacement, in and of itself, could not cause cancer. If estrogen and progesterone, or even testosterone, caused cancer, all young women would be dead. So if logic tells us that estrogen doesn't actually cause cancer in and of itself, then there must be more to the story-like what kind and how much estrogen and when to take it.

It's not up for debate whether or not women should replace their missing hormones. Living without them is far too miserable and dangerous. So then, the question becomes "how"?

One Santa Barbara California researcher and author named T.S. Wiley asked, "What if hormone replacement was made of real bio-identical hormones and dosed to mimic the ups and downs of the hormone blood levels in a normal menstrual cycle in a 20 year-old woman, would all of the symptoms and disease states of aging decline or even, disappear?"

Shortly thereafter, she developed a trademarked patent pending delivery system consisting of bio-identical estradiol and progesterone in topical cream preparations dosed in a rhythm to mimic the natural cyclic hormone levels replicated in serum blood produced by a twenty year-old woman.

Kristin Gabriel represents author T.S. Wiley, who is the developer of The Wiley Protocol, a trademarked patent pending delivery system consisting of bio-identical estradiol and progesterone in topical cream preparations dosed in a rhythm to mimic the natural cyclic hormone levels replicated in serum blood produced by a twenty year-old woman.

Why Choose Bio-identical Hormones Over Traditional Hormones?

Any woman interested in bio-identical hormones should know the difference between natural hormones (bhrt) and synthetic hormones (hrt). Bio-identical hormones are derived from yams or soy and are the chemical replicates of the exact hormone found in the human body. Synthetic hormones such as Premarin and Provera are drugs made and patented by drug companies. Some of these hormones are derived from pregnant horses urine. The chemicals used are similar to our hormones but have been changed slightly in order to be patented.

Bio-identicals cannot be patented because the drugs have been available for over 15 years. Since bio-identicals can't be patented there is no way for the drug companies to make large amounts of money on them.

Many drug studies have been preformed on synthetic hormones.

The Women's Health Initiative study (WHI) was preformed in 2002 and was stopped early because of the findings. The study involved thousands of women from multiple sites all over the country. The research was done on diet, exercise, calcium supplements, and synthetic hormones. The results were that these drugs should not be given to prevent heart disease, strokes, venous thrombosis, or breast cancer. The findings showed they may increase a woman's risk of developing these problems over time.

The problem with most studies is that the drug companies are funding the study. Therefore, if bio-identicals can't be patented, then the drug companies are not going to spend money on a study.

If you research bio-identical hormones, you can find drug studies on them.

Breast cancer and BHRT

Androgens and Mammary growth and neoplasia

Antiestrogen action of progesterone in breast tissue

Cancer and Hormonal balance

Epidemiology of breast cancer

Hormones in the etiology and prevention of breast and endometrial cancer

This is only 5 examples of the hundreds of studies found on Dr. Rebecca Glaser's website, hormonebalance.org. Dr. Rebecca Glaser also has studies on other topics (not just breast cancer) such as cortisol, estriol, dosage delivery, testosterone and progesterone to name a few.

My belief is that bio-identical hormones bring the menopausal or pre-menopausal woman back to the hormone levels found in a youthful woman. By doing this, the drugs have shown an improvement in heart health, skin, hair, and memory.

Two other benefits are they slightly lower cholesterol and they will keep bone density from decreasing further. Other than relief from the normal menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, etc.) I believe bio-identical hormones can also help with heart, bones, memory and cholesterol. I do not think they will decrease the risk of breast cancer, but taken in the correct dosage amount I think they do not increase the risk of cancer.

In other words, if you are on the correct strengths of hormones there will be no increase or decrease in cancer risk.

BHRT can be a much safer alternative for menopause symptoms treatment. For more information on bio-identical hormones, visit http://www.bhrt-resource.com

Woman, Hormones and Heart Health

If you're confused about the pros and cons of hormone therapy, you're not alone. The scientific community has long theorized that hormones taken to ease menopausal symptoms also help prevent cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of women. In 2002, however, women and physicians alike were stunned by results of the national Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, which warned that hormones could actually increase the risk of heart disease.

Promising New Findings

After further analysis of WHI data, the most recent news is more hopeful. A report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Feb. 13, 2006) suggests that the timing of hormone treatment largely determines its potential health risks or benefits. Because the younger women in the study (ages 50 to 59) had significantly fewer heart-related problems, hormones may indeed prove heart-protective if used early in menopause - before hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, has a chance to develop.

On average, WHI participants were age 63 - far older than 51, the average age of women at the onset of menopause. An older woman who has been without estrogen for many years is more likely to naturally develop atherosclerosis; at that point estrogen therapy, because of its tendency to cause clotting, may do the heart more harm than good.

Clearly, further investigation is needed. For now, researchers agree there are a lot of data to suggest that estrogen is "good early" for preventing heart disease but ineffective or even harmful if administered once atherosclerosis is established.

A Personal Decision

In light of this ongoing medical debate, women are understandably concerned about the safety of hormones.

There are ways to decrease your risk significantly. However, like all medical therapies, menopausal hormone treatment may not be appropriate for all patients. Along with declining hormones, you must have symptoms that are affecting your quality of life. Next, talk with your doctor, who will take into account your age, current health and family health history in determining your specific risks and benefits in using hormones, as well as the potential impact on your cardiovascular health.

If you choose to receive hormone therapy, use bioidentical hormones that duplicate a woman's naturally occurring hormones. While hormone therapy can be both safe and effective, it is not a by-the-numbers kind of treatment. Each woman's case should be evaluated individually.

By Susan Kaib, MD, FAAFP
Medical Director
Kronos Optimal Health Company

Side Effects Of Bioidentical Hormones

Bioidentical hormones are often synthesized from plants, and processed to make them resemble, or become entirely identical to the hormones within our bodies. Bioidentical hormone preparations are often compounded by pharmacists, with respect to the quantity recommended by the doctor.

We have a conflict of interest here with the pharmaceutical industry, because they are unable to patent human hormones that are molecularly identical to actual substances in the body. Therefore everything that you hear about bioidentical hormones must be viewed with a skeptic eye, because of the pharmaceutical companies massive influence over the health industry.

These hormones are mainly used by females, to alleviate the signs and symptoms of menopause. A scientific study compared the usage of bioidentical progesterone cream to placebo, and learned that women using the cream experienced a massive decrease in symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. The cream had no effect on bone mineral density though.

Bioidentical hormones are generally prescribed as a healthier replacement for regular hormone replacement therapy, which has been proven to have serious adverse effects. Many people have voiced their criticism about this kind of treatment because it hasn't been analyzed extensively enough in clinical studies.

However, some scientific studies have demonstrated that these hormones are indeed healthier and also bring less risk of adverse effects than the synthetic versions. This includes significantly less risk of blood clots as well as cancer, the two primary issues concerning conventional hormone replacement therapy.

It's imperative that you realize that these types of hormones haven't been studied as extensively as the standard, artificial ones. This is very understandable because the main sources of research funds are the drug companies, and they have absolutely no interest in studying a substance that can not be patented or marketed for massive price tags.

Unfortunately, because scientific studies are missing, it is not easy to find details about the side effects of bioidentical hormones in the literature, but it appears obvious how the side effects tend to be less severe than with regular hormone replacement therapy.

I'm not really thrilled about individuals playing around with the hormones in their bodies, because this might have unpredictable consequences. If the symptoms of menopause are leading to big problems in that case bioidentical hormones can be a safe alternative to standard treatment.

I would personally also suggest using as little of them as possible, for as brief a time as possible. Menopause is really a natural occurrence that happens with getting older, and even though treatment methods are possible, doesn't mean they're always the right thing to do.

Make sure that if you are undergoing any kind of hormonal treatment, to do it under supervision by a physician who has knowledge of these matters, hormones are nothing to play around with.

Kris is a medical student from Iceland and runs the very popular health oriented website Kris Health Blog at http://www.kriskris.com/

Go to bioidentical hormones side effects to view the original article.

Alternative Hormone Replacement Therapy For Women - Are Bio-identical Hormones Safer

If you are looking for alternative hormone replacement therapy for women, then you are probably at or nearing the age of menopause. Many women are interested in alternatives because of the health dangers of hormone replacement therapy. The good news is that there are alternatives. Different things work for different women. A lot depends on lifestyle, diet and exercise, as well as your overall physical health.

Lately bio-identical hormones have been suggested as alternative hormone replacement therapy for women, but in actuality, no one knows if bio-identical hormones carry the health dangers of hormone replacement therapy, or not. They are called bio-identical because the molecular structure of the hormones is identical to a woman's own. Doctors and compounding pharmacists create a mix that is designed specifically for an individual woman. It is probably safer than conventional HRT, but no studies concerning long-term use have been done. The therapy was made popular by a book written by Suzanne Somers, in which she states that she will take them for the rest of her life.

According to reports, Ms. Somers did not have issues related to lifestyle, diet or exercise and she was in generally good health, but was devastated by the symptoms associated with menopause. Other women have felt the same way. While doctors and major pharmaceutical companies have focused on estrogen replacement, bio-identical HRT takes into account levels of all hormones, and replaces those that are lacking. For example, low testosterone levels in women can cause women to have difficulty reaching orgasm, among other things, but traditional hormone replacement therapy does not include testosterone, only equine estrogens and synthetic progesterone.

The better women's clinics evaluate a woman's lifestyle, diet and exercise regimen before recommending treatment, mainly because of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy, but also because HRT is not necessary for all women. There are many lifestyle factors that can aggravate menopausal symptoms. Smoking cigarettes, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyles, poor diet and inadequate vitamin intake are some of them. Studies have shown that excess stress also increases symptoms and that stress reduction therapy reduces them. Menopause can be a very stressful time in a woman's life and the amount of stress that women are under continues to increase.

When lifestyle is not a factor and a woman's diet is well balanced and includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, vitamin supplementation may be necessary, particularly calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. A supplement that contains soy or red clover isoflavones (a type of plant estrogen), as well as calcium, vitamin D and magnesium may help prevent osteoporosis. Studies have shown that estrogen, as well as vitamin D and magnesium, improve the body's ability to absorb calcium.

In fact plant hormones, like those found in soy, red clover and wild yam, is considered alternative hormone replacement therapy by some. In addition there are botanicals that effectively reduce hot flashes. One is black cohosh.

There are plant components that reduce mood swings and depression, like 5 HTP, which is used by the body to create serotonin, which, in turn, is important for regulating mood, appetite and sleep cycles.

There are botanicals that the body can use to create hormones, such as tribulus terrestris. Contrary to what some people think, not all of a woman's hormones are produced by the ovaries. Some are produced by the adrenals. Some are produced from cholesterol. Some are created from other hormones. If you believe that the body can create what the body needs, if it has the proper "ingredients", then you may see that taking synthetic hormones can actually reduce the body's ability to create its own. Particularly if the standard dosage contains more of one or the other than the body needs.

The alternative hormone replacement therapy for women that consists of bio-identical hormones may have shortcomings in that hormonal levels can vary from day to day and week to week. So, while the compound created may be correct on one day, it may not be on the next.

The known dangers of hormone replacement therapy, according to the Women's Health Initiative include blood clots, which can lead to stroke and heart attack. The longer a woman uses HRT, the greater her risks of developing breast and other types of cancer. Once thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, the Women's Health Initiative showed that the dangers of hormone replacement therapy outweigh the benefits. As previously stated, no one knows if bio-identical or other alternative hormone replacement therapy for women is any safer than conventional HRT.

For more information about menopause and hormone replacement or to learn about natural products that can relieve menopausal symptoms and improve overall health, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Visit us at www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com.

Are Bioidentical Hormones For Men?

Bioidentical hormones are a fairly new topic in the world of medicine. However, there have been rave reviews from those who have taken them and had incredibly positive results. Now, many people are asking "are bioidentical hormones for men?" The information below will help you understand why this unique therapy can be used for males as well as females.

What Are Bioidentical Hormones?

Also known as natural hormone replacement, the process of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy deals with the replacing the absent hormones in the body with created ones gained from natural plant substances. They plants used are yams and soy, and the substances are manipulated until they mimic the make-up of the hormones found naturally in the body.

The hormones are given in specific doses based upon the needs of each individual, and are used to cure hormone related diseases, conditions, and symptoms. This is far more effective than a one size fits all treatment, or a prescription medication treatment which might have dozens of painful side effects.

Are There Bioidentical Hormones for Men?

Although these types of created hormones and this specialized therapy are generally used for women during their menopausal years, there are bioidentical hormones for men. The fact is that men just are not in need of them nearly as often, as hormone imbalances are less common in males.

While women need a mix of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and some testosterone, men need a mixture of total testosterone, estradiol, DHEAS, and Prolactin. The materials gathered from soy and yams can just as easily be made into these hormones than the one for females, and can help restore hormonal balance in men.

Just because bioidentical hormones for men are not well known, they do exist. Just like women, there are periods in some men's life in which their hormones will become imbalanced and create medical problems or symptoms. With the use of these created hormones, there is not help for men as well as women.

Bioidentical Hormones for Men have changed the life of many. For more information on how to change your life naturally, visit our website here: Bioidentical Hormone Treatment