Hormone Therapy Safety

Is Hormone Therapy Safe?

Hormone therapy has been around a very long time. And, like almost every medical technology, is has improved dramatically in both safety and effectiveness over the last fifty years.

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of bad information still circulating about hormone therapy which is based on the very early years of hormone replacement. As a result, some women believe that hormone therapy is unsafe or even dangerous.

And even some older or “conservative” doctors who have not keep up with the latest research and advancements in hormone therapy, may not be well-informed about the safety and effectiveness of today’s “modern” hormone therapy.

In this article, the hormone therapy experts at Tutera Medical in Scottsdale, AZ set the record straight about the safety and efficacy of today’s new and advanced hormone therapy methods.

How Hormone Therapy Got a Bad Reputation

Most of the rumors, misunderstandings and half-truths about hormone therapy can be traced back to older flawed research studies that were conducted decades ago in the early days of hormone therapy.

According to research published by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health the first clinical trials on hormone therapy were conducted almost fifty years ago when hormone replacement was still in its infancy. Based on limited data and older hormone therapy methods, it was reported that the detrimental effects of hormone therapy outweighed the benefits. As a result of this “bad publicity” the use of hormone therapy dropped off significantly.

However, newer analysis of these clinical studies revealed that the use of hormone therapy in early postmenopausal women had many beneficial effects, including reducing heart disease and lowering the death rate from all causes. However, it was ‘too late” for hormone therapy’s reputation – and hormone replacement has been saddled with a lot of bad information that many uniformed doctors and patients still erroneously believe today.

How Hormone Therapy has Advanced

Originally, hormone therapy used man-made “synthetic” hormones that were created in a lab. But something as molecularly complex as a hormone made by the human body can never be identically duplicated in a laboratory.

In recent years, however, hormone therapy scientists, have developed “bioidentical” hormones that are derived from 100% natural sources. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (“BHRT”) exactly replicates the molecular structure of the body’s own hormones. This makes BHRT much more effective than man-made hormones. It is also results in hormone therapy that is free of many of the dangerous side effects of synthetics – making it much safer.

New Evidence of Hormone Therapy Safety

Clinical research on hormone therapy is continually being conducted to monitor its safety and its benefits. The overwhelming body of current research now supports the belief that bioidentical hormone therapy is safe, not only for alleviating the symptoms of menopause, but also in helping prevent many life-threatening diseases in women.

Additionally, contemporary research has demonstrated that hormone therapy helps improve sexual performance and libido in men. And BHRT can also help male patients reduce their risks of cardiovascular (heart) disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and death.

Studies on Hormone Therapy Safety in Women

According to research published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, early studies in the 1970s, determined that estrogen supplements when used alone were associated with an increased incidence of endometrial cancer.

But, more recent researcher has revealed that reducing the dose of estrogen and combining it with progesterone can actually lower the risk of developing endometrial cancer.

In another recent study, Shelley R. Salpeter, MD, (clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University’s School of Medicine ) found that hormone replacement therapy reduced the number of heart attacks and cardiac deaths by 32% in women who were 60 or younger (or women who had been through menopause less than 10 years ago).

She also stated: “We have evidence that hormone therapy can prevent heart disease, hip fractures, and osteoporosis, and that it cuts the risk of developing [type 2] diabetes by 30% in younger women.”

Now, even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that hormone therapy should be used to treat women who have severe menopausal symptoms. And, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, The North American Menopause Society, and The Endocrine Society have all explicitly agreed that estrogen replacement therapy can be used safely for osteoporosis prevention in most healthy, menopausal women.

Studies on Hormone Therapy Safety in Men

Recent clinical research presented during the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society has reported that testosterone hormone therapy can help men reduce their risks of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and death.

According to two other research studies, presented by Bayer Schering Pharma in Berlin, low testosterone (Low T) in men is associated with increased incidence of developing metabolic syndrome. But male patients who were given testosterone replacement hormone therapy significantly reduced the metabolic syndrome risk factors.

Men who participated in the study who were given hormone therapy had “bad” LDL cholesterol (triglycerides) reduced by 1/3rd to 1/4^th; while good HDL cholesterol also improved. The men treated with hormone therapy saw body mass index decrease with a reduction in belly fat – losing on average three to four inches off their waist.

And, according to another study presented by the Institute for Community Medicine at Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University in Greifswald, Germany, replacing low testosterone in men with hormone therapy can reduce the overall risk of death.

Safe Hormone Therapy Experts | Scottsdale, AZ

The most important step in understanding if hormone therapy is safe for you is to talk to a medical provider who is an expert in modern bioidentical hormone therapy methods. The doctors at Tutera Medical in Scottsdale, AZ can conduct thorough blood tests to determine if hormone therapy may be a beneficial part of your individualized healthcare program.

If you are interested in learning more about whether modern, safe 100% natural bioidentical hormone therapy is right for you, schedule an appointment at Tutera Medical in Scottsdale, Glendale, or Chandler, AZ today.

Hormone Therapy | Scottsdale, AZ: 480-874-1515

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as general information only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. While the benefits of hormone replacement are well documented through clinical research, we are not representing that hormone therapy is a “cure” for any disease. Only your treating physician can determine if hormone therapy may be a beneficial part of your healthcare regimen, based on your age, overall health, risk factors, and lifestyle.