It all started in 2002 with the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Study. The headlines read, “Hormones Increase the Risk of Breast Cancer and Stroke.” Women stopped their hormones (mostly PREMPRO and PREMARIN) and providers stopped writing prescriptions for the synthetic hormones they had been prescribing to thousands of women. *The FEAR initiated by the headlines — and misreading of the study — caused many women to swear off hormones, regardless of source or type. As one researcher stated:
“The reporting of the WHI fed those fears to a degree not warranted by the small increase in breast cancer rates that probably only reflected earlier discovery of existing cancers, or by the fact that the heart attack risk and stroke was only seen in women who started more than 10 years after menopause and [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][who used the synthetic PREMPRO].”
*This FEAR lingers today so that many women and providers, in spite of countless scientific articles and studies, forego the incredible health and quality of life benefits offered by bioidentical hormones.THE FEAR IS BASED ON IGNORANCE AND NOT SCIENCE.
The question we ask is; “How many actually READ the WHI study to see what the study found and how it was conducted?” *Not many as too often people get their “science” from newspaper headlines or TV personalities or drug companies. *An unfortunate fact is that (1) BAD news plays better than GOOD news and (2) people will hold on to their “beliefs” long past the time when fact has shown their belief to be false.
THE TRUTH: The WHI study only tested a certain older group of women who were given a drug named PREMPRO made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. This synthetic drug combined PREMARIN, a conjugated equine estrogen (meaning it is made from horse’s urine), plus progestin (Provera).Science and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine has known for years that PROGESTIN is NOT PROGESTERONE.
*The synthetic PROGESTIN does increase your risk of Breast Cancer and Stroke.
*Bioidentical PROGESTERONE, however, decreasesyour risk of Breast Cancer and Stroke. What is amazing and truly frightening is that a high percentage of providers and many women (who do not read Suzanne Somers’ books on bioidentical hormones or are treated by A4M practitioners) do not know the difference.
*If the difference were well known, women would take bioidentical hormones and have less breast cancer, fewer heart problems, a greatly reduced number of hysterectomies, fewer miscarriages, and less excess body fat. There would also be a great decrease in women suffering from PMS, difficult periods, sleep issues, and taking ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. Progesterone deficiencies in women can occur from the first period experienced by young ladies in their teen years.
WHY IS THE FEAR HURTING WOMEN? Women who fear hormone therapy are NOT using the very hormones that would greatly improve their day to day quality of life AND greatly reduce their risk of the diseases they FEAR. Science shows us that bioidentical estrogen & testosterone are protective of the heart. Bioidentical Progesterone (not Progestin) reduces the risk of breast cancer. Each of these hormones protects our bones against osteopenia and osteoporosis. Each offers protection to the brain against memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Our body can be deficient in hormones at any age and they decline in all of us as we age. Diagnostic tests tell us which hormones are deficient.
WHAT SHOULD WOMEN (AND MEN) DO?
Get tested and Get Educated.
If you suspect any health issue or condition may be related to your hormones, consult with an expert and get tested. It is important that the right tests be done as many providers will not test, for example, free T3 for thyroid, free testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin for testosterone, and estradiol for men. They may have a different opinion as to what is needed or they may be ignorant of the benefits of biodentical hormones.
If you are on hormones ask yourself: is this the best hormone for me? How is it working for me? Are my levels being tested and monitored? Do I feel comfortable with my treatment?
IF I AM TAKING HORMONES AND KNOW THE BENEFITS, WHO DO I KNOW THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD ALSO BE ON THE NBH LIFETIME HEALTH PROGRAM?
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