Estrogen

At the Anti-Aging Medical HGH Institute, we’ve learned the importance of our member’s education and full understanding, not only of our superior programs, health and age management protocols but, also the significance of understanding what is actually going on in their bodies. No matter what page you skim though on our site, you will continuously read our promise to ensure maximization of your life and its “quality” from here on out with our support and strategized personal services.

In retrospect, it’s important to understand that your body is your temple. We are sure you don’t want problems to only “disappear.” You want to understand them. You want to know what these different phases in your life are indicative of and furthermore, what to expect in relation to their passage and even post existence.

It’s pretty safe to presume that you understand the fundamental requirements of estrogen and its role in your entire composition.  

In a very concise definition: Estrogen is a female sex hormone. It helps women grow during puberty and is part of the menstrual cycle. During menopause, its levels decrease significantly, associating them with popular, yet concrete attributions which can jade your perception on the subject.

After the age of 30, all human beings begin a hormonal decline deeply correlated to physical, mental, psychological and social changes. However, being that the future is NOW and having options to keep this integral point of our existence eminent and vastfully abundant can eliminate unprecedented statistical age related apparitions.

Is ERT Right For You?

Estrogen replacement therapy is the medical administration of estrogen; it may sometimes also include the use of progestins. ERT replaces hormones which the ovaries no longer produce, either through natural or surgical menopause, and provides relief from the unpleasant symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats.

According to a Journal of American Medicine report released February 19, 1997, estrogen use begun in the early menopausal period and continued late into life is associated with the highest protection of bone density, although beginning ERT after age 60 does appear to offer nearly equally bone protection.

Although much controversy exists regarding the use of bioidentical estrogen hormones, their use is associated with significant reduction in the occurrence of heart disease and osteoporosis, including a reduction of approximately 10% in the occurrence of heart disease and stroke, over non ERT users.
Bioidentical estrogen replacement therapy, either alone or combined with progesterone replacement therapy, has been found to reduce levels PA-1 by approximately 50%. PA-1 is an essential inhibitor of fibrinolysis which increases in women after menopause and may contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. This may help to explain the protective effect estrogen has in the reduction of heart disease in postmenopausal women. (NEJM 1997; 336:683-90)

An estimated 15- 20% of post- menopausal women currently use ERT. Many women have heard the risks of estrogens and are unaware that many of the substantial increases in risks occurred at much higher doses of conjugated estrogens than are recommended today.

In the past, conjugated estrogen was routinely prescribed doses of 1.25 mg to 2.5 mg per day; at today’s recommended daily dose of .625 mg which is required to achieve the osteoporosis reduction benefit of estrogen, most of these risks are fairly small, although you must weigh the benefits against the risks of ERT and choose on an individual basis weather conjugated estrogen is for you.

Some women reject the use of conjugated estrogens because they are obtained from the urine of pregnant mares and they object to the practice of keeping the mares pregnant only to retrieve their urine for the making of estrogens.

Many women reject the use of ERT on principle, disliking the idea of using a synthetic hormone which disrupts the natural development of the body and fearing past disasters such as occurred with DES.

Because of the potential risk factors involved with estrogen replacement therapy, a study was conducted to examine the relation of ERT and mortality. The study conducted between 1976 and 1994, included participants who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study; the women were between the age of 30 and 55 when the study began.

After adjusting the results for variables the study concluded, women who used estrogen replacement therapy had a lower mortality rate than the non- users; however the survival benefit of ERT decreased with long- term use and is lower for women already at risk for heart disease. (NEJM 1997; 336: 1769- 75)

Another study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine to determine the effect of ERT on life expectancy in postmenopausal women with different risk factors for heart disease, breast cancer and hip fracture, concluded that the benefit of ERT in reducing the chance of heart disease appears to outweigh the risk of breast cancer for almost all women and supports the wide- spread use of estrogen replacement therapy.

A new report, released March 4, 1998, by the Journal of American Medicine concludes that plausible biological mechanisms exist by which ERT may lead to improved cognition, reduced risk of dementia, or improvement in the severity of dementia; however studies of women have produced conflicting results and larger placebo controlled studies are required to address the use of estrogen in the prevention of Alzheimers and other dementia related symptoms. Given the risks associated with estrogen, at this time estrogen use, solely to prevent dementia is not advised until adequate trials are completed.

You may have heard that estrogen replacement therapy will help you maintain a youthful appearance and according to the Archives of Dermatology- March 1997 issue, you may be right.

Postmenopausal women, age 40 and older were measured for skin conditions including wrinkling, dryness, and atrophy by trained dermatology resident physicians. Use of estrogen, exposure to sunlight, and smoking history, as well as each women’s body mass index (BMI) were factors considered before reaching their conclusion which suggests that the use of Estrogen Replacement Therapy is helpful in the prevention of dry skin and wrinkling and extends the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy to include protection against selected age and menopause related dermatologic conditions.

Other drugs have recently been approved for use as Estrogen Replacement Therapy, which claim to have lowered potential risk factors associated with their use. Raloxifene is one of these drugs and although controversy (Dr. Samuel Epstein has been reported to have revealed information which shows that raloxifene significantly increases the risk of ovarian cancer) exists about its use, daily therapy with raloxifene has been shown to increase bone mineral density, lower serum levels of LDL cholesterol and it does not stimulate the endometrium (NEJM 1997; 337: 141- 7).

Recent articles at InteliHealth- John Hopkins reveal that raloxifene significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer and it reduces the risk of colon cancer up to 35%.

Another drug, recently investigated for its’ bone protecting ability in postmenopausal women is Alendronate; it was found to prevent bone loss in women under the age of 60 nearly to the same extent as estrogen- progestin. (NEJM 1998: 338: 485- 92)

Considering all the potential risks and benefits of estrogen replacement therapy, each woman must come to her own decision about what is right for her.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy reduces or eliminates the unpleasant symptoms of menopause for many women and provides significant reduction of bone loss and risk of heart disease, while at the same time increasing your risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer. So is Estrogen Replacement Therapy right for you? It’s a decision only you can make.

If you are in a stage in your life where you’ve come to realize that it is time to educate yourself on estrogen, estrogen related issues or simply know that you have an estrogen deficiency and wanted to understand its superiorly important role in your body, life and wellbeing; this is why we organized this particular passage.

 Our intent is to make sure that everyone of our members is, not only enjoying the benefits of their newly attained “quality of life” but, actually understand why this works and what is going on in your body. Estrogen and all estrogen related surfacing inquiries can be addressed. Contact us if you need specific questions answered or, personal ones. Our own Dr. Julie Weaver will be more than happy to make sure you are comfortable with your attained knowledge and, once you have a clear understanding of the unmatched alleviation you can receive from Estrogen Replacement Therapy, you will better your life, you just have to take the first step. Call us.