Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
In this segment, nurse practitioner Elaine Weil explains the benefits of bio-identical hormone therapy in the treatment of menopause. This is a complex topic and this video segment gives you a brief introduction. If this sparks your interest there are many good books available for you to learn more. Hormones are molecular communicators that act as your body's "to do" list. Bio-identical hormones are identical in molecular structure to your body's own hormones, derived from plant sources such as soy and wild yam. In the United States the most commonly prescribed hormones are not the same chemical as that which your own body makes.
Menopause prompts a depletion in the essential female hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormone levels vary from person to person and within each individual at different stages of the menopausal transition. Many women, after trying herbal and nutritional solutions to menopausal symptoms, are looking for hormonal treatments that are safe. Safety is a complex topic and a work in progress. The Women’s Health Initiative, which used synthetic progestin and horse-derived estrogen, showed an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Very few studies have been done in the United States using bioidentical hormones, but studies conducted in Europe have shown a good safety record, especially when applied transdermally rather than as a pill. Applications in the form of creams and patches are a safer choice —unlike pills, they allow the hormones to enter your bloodstream intact, and do not pose the same level of health risk (such as an increase in blood clotting) as their counterparts.
Hormone therapy should always be prescribed carefully after a thorough evaluation of risks and benefits for each woman. Until more studies are completed we will not have all the answers we would like to have about long term safety. By individualizing the combinations of hormones, dosages, methods of delivery and length of use of bioidentical hormones, we can maximize their safety. It is an informed choice each woman can make after discussion and evaluation by a qualified health care provider.
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