Have you or your friends begun to move into the menopause years, and found increasing problems with hot flashes, night sweats, excess moodiness and difficulty sleeping? These of course are symptoms of the natural process of aging and the development of menopause, where the ovaries simply cannot produce the youth inspiring and healthful hormones present during your earlier days. Research over the last several years has found, however, that the decline and symptoms of menopause are simply not the only pathway, and that current hormone replacement therapy techniques are not only extremely safe and effective, but literally stave off the aging process.
In 2002 there was a very large medical study, called the Women's Health Initiative, that was done to evaluate the benefits of hormone replacement therapy. In the study the main hormones used were oral premarin for the estrogen and synthetic progesterone, and unfortunately that huge study had to be stopped early as they uncovered problems with increased blood clots and strokes from the oral estrogens and increased breast cancer from the synthetic progesteone used. Hormone therapy got an immediate black eye and millions of women stopped using them.
We have now had almost 20 years to identify the proper ways to use hormones, and we have now reduced those risks. Modern hormone replacement therapy understands and uses the benefits of natural, bio-identical hormone therapy, meaning using the exact same hormones that your body has been producing for years, and avoiding oral estrogens. Hormone therapy now will not only easily control the menopausal symptoms but in the background provides many other valuable benefits, such as improving the quality of your skin, reducing the rate of Alzheimer's disease, keeping your bones strong, rejuvenating the vaginal skin, and now improving the prevention of breast cancer.
Other forms of hormone replacement therapy now include testosterone as well, at an appropriate dose for women, as that hormone gets depleted in menopause, too. Testosterone therapy has been shown to enhance the noted benefits of hormone therapy, especially with dramatic increases in bone density, but has mostly become so popular for the exciting benefits inculding extra energy, fighting off brain fog, dramatically increasing sexual drive and performance, as well as helping one to lean out, replacing body fat with lean muscularity.
If any of these attributes are appealing to you, please let our physicians help guide you toward the best regimen that fits you. Call us at any time for a thorough hormone consultation and be on the way to a new and improved part of life!
Do you have questions about hormone replacement therapy? All of us here at Premier OB-Gyn are happy to answer your questions and make you feel as comfortable as possible. Book your appointment today!
Premier OB-Gyn is accepting new patients in both our Maitland, Florida and Oviedo, Florida locations. We would be happy to see you! Please call 321-397-1212 or visit www.premierob-gyn.com to book your appointment.
