Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Really Necessary After Menopause?

Having practiced clinical medicine and OB-GYN for 52 years, specializing in Bio-identical Hormone Replacement for over 25 years, in my opinion, the answer is No (but please read on for my full answer and explanation).  However, if you are approaching menopause, in menopause, or after menopause, there are a few things you should consider…

Firstly, the era of menopause brings about the acceleration of the aging process, affecting sex, skin, bones, mood, sleep, cognition, heart and many more aspects of getting older. Secondly, hormone replacement can slow down, stop and reverse many of these changes. Thirdly, natural, Bio-Identical Hormones have been found to be much safer than the pharmaceutical, or otherwise chemical versions, of replacement hormones.  So, while hormone replacement is not necessary after menopause, research has shown that it can improve the quality and length of your life. 

Results from Research on Bio-identical Hormones

From the Early vs Late Intervention Trial, Sept. 3, 2019- “Molecular biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies have furnished a wealth of evidence supporting estrogen’s cardioprotection in post-menopausal women without adverse effects.”  

From Neurotherapeutics July 16, 2019- “The decline of Estradiol has been associated with several changes in the brain, including cognitive changes, effects on sleep and mood. Treatment with Estradiol (in post-menopausal women) has been shown to improve behavior and morphological changes seen in menopause…including a number of neuropsychiatric disorders such as: Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia and depression.”

In a recent publication, Testosterone reduces neuronal secretion of Alzheimer’s b-amyloid, Gouras, XuH and Gross found that testosterone therapy decreased the signs and morphologies of Alzheimer’s.  Dr. Dale Bredeson, Professor of Neurology and author of best seller, The End of Alzheimer’s, has shown that the combination of Estradiol and testosterone (when replaced in their bio-identical forms) reduced cognitive loss and Alzheimer’s up to 40%.

How about safety? Fornier has been following 85,000 women in France for almost 20 years. In a peer-reviewed study, he found that the incidence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women was the same as a woman not on any hormones.  In other words, the relative risk of breast cancer for women on bio-identical hormones is zero. Whereas Fornier also found that the relative increase for women replacing with pharmaceutical or otherwise chemical hormones increased their risk up to 60%!  Holtorf, in another recently published article found the same thing, “the bio-identical hormones are much safer than their pharmaceutical/chemical counterparts”.

For those wanting to learn more about the research behind Bio-identical Hormones, you can find thousands of articles on the NIH or US Library of Medicine websites concerning the efficacy and safety of bio-identical hormones.  Additionally, What Every Woman Should Know about Hormones by Dr. Pam Smith, is a best-selling book with a thousand science evidence-based references regarding Bio-identical Hormones. 

At The Renewal Point, we use a combination of testing methods to ensure that we are targeting the root of the problem.  By utilizing lab values, patient symptoms, and patient history, we are able to design a Bio-identical Hormone Balancing program that is unique to each patient’s specific needs.  And, since hormone levels inevitably change as we age, we closely monitor each patient over time, to determine when changes are needed. If you are experiencing bothersome symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and/or aging, we encourage you to give us a call ~ we are here to help!