Half of hormone prescriptions in US are bio-identical
March 6, 2015 March 6, 2015
Category: Blog
According to Pharmacists, among prescriptions filled for menopausal hormone therapy (HT) in the U.S., almost half now are custom-compounded “bioidentical” hormones. The study results will be presented Friday March 6th at the Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego.
Some postmenopausal women have been seeking alternatives to traditional hormone therapy since the Women’s Health Initiative study in 2002 linked it to certain increased health risks. Since then, customized bioidentical hormones have often been marketed as natural, safer alternatives to FDA-approved HT, with purported fewer side effects. However, according to the Endocrine Society, there is no scientific evidence supporting the safety or effectiveness of compounded bioidentical hormones.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy
BHRT is the use of supplemental doses of hormones that have a chemical structure identical to the hormones that the human body naturally produces. It can help alleviate the unwanted symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, night sweats, depression and sleep disturbances while improving your libido, skin texture and sense of well-being.
Treatment with bio-identical hormones is individualized according to one’s needs and symptoms, and laboratory (blood, saliva, or urine) findings. These medications are prepared by specialized, compounding pharmacies and can be delivered via capsules, topical creams or gels, oral troches, or suppositories.
Most patients are seen anywhere from 3-5 times per year, although the frequency may vary depending on one’s progress.
We place great emphasis on restoring these hormones back to levels associated with peak performance. Hormone studies may include assessment of DHEA, cortisol, pregnenolone, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, or IGF-1 levels. These studies may be performed on blood, urine or saliva.
Our assessment will determine current hormone levels for both men and women. If deficiencies or imbalances are found, we will recommend a hormone replacement therapy that fits the patient’s individual needs. So just because aging doesn’t mean you have to feel your age.
Recent research has pointed to a connection between estrogen levels and obesity in peri-menopasaul and menopausal women.
Certain findings even suggest that if estrogen levels can be more targeted to the indiviual unique body chemistry, the problem of obesity in many could be solved.
What can this mean to you? Balanced estrogen can help reduce weight gain associated with “change of life”
Let Dr. Magaziner explain
Transcript
We have been treating patients with bio-identical hormones for many years. It has been phenomenal the type of response we have seen. When women come to us and they tell us that they have hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia and low libido and can’t think straight and are putting on weight they are not very happy as they go into their peri-menopausal, menopausal years – the beauty about bio-identical hormone therapy is that is can be completely indivualized to each patient. We analyze each patient’s bio-chemistry on a unique basis, this may include a urine sample, it may include blood work, but the key here is to find the dose that is proper for each individual patient and adjusting them accordingly according to their symptoms and their lab work. We have seen tremendous results over the years and I want to stress that not only women, but men as come to us as well for this condition.
People do not have to live with a rapid aging process, they can still feel well as they reach their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond. So think about the importance of how bio-identical hormones can help you – they work in concert with each other, there are multiple hormones that we look at – that can be used together because it is a well oiled symphony when we get the dosage right they work in concert with each other so you can feel like a million bucks