Category Archives: Hormone Replacement Therapy

Providing heart care that improveslives. At the Cardiology Center of Southern Indiana,our focus is the diagnosis, stabilization, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and abnormal heart rhythms. Our skilled cardiologists use interventional cardiology also known as catheterization to help prevent an eventual cardiac event or to stabilize patients that have had a heart attack. All of our heart care procedures are performed at Clark Memorial Hospitals Heart Centerwith a goal of improving patients lives. Juan J. Ortiz, MD, has joined Cardiology Center of Southern Indiana. Dr. Ortiz earned hisundergraduate degree from New York University and his medical degree from AlbanyMedical College. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine and afellowship in cardiology at North Shore University Hospital, Cornell University MedicalCollege in New York. He has more than twenty years of clinical experience in Kentuckiana. Meet Dr. Ortiz Cardiologist Dr. Zaka Rahman has been treating people with heart disease in Kentuckiana for more than 25 years. An Associate Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and Fellow Society of Coronary Angiography and Intervention, Dr. Rahman completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at Providence Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He … Continue reading →

As women age, significant changes take place as a result of fluctuating hormone levels. Lower estrogen levels can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Youre probably familiar with menopause, a condition that affects every woman at some point, but you may not know that women also experience a transition period called perimenopause. Women are officially menopausal when theyve gone 12 consecutive months without a period. For most, this happens starting at around age 50. About 10 years before menopause, however, women can also start experiencing many of the same symptoms as menopause to a lesser degree. This is known as perimenopause, and if youre dealing with this natural transition, then you may benefit from the natural relief afforded by bio-identical hormone replacement therapy or BHRT. Perimenopause is a transitional time period that usually starts when women are in their 40s. You may notice symptoms as early as your mid-30s depending on your personal and family medical history. If youre experiencing any of the following symptoms, then you may be dealing with perimenopause: During perimenopause, your hormones fluctuate like they do during menopause, but you can still become pregnant as long as you have periods, even if theyre irregular. For many … Continue reading →

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may consist of oestrogens alone or in combination with progestin. HRT slows bone turnover and increases bone mineral density(BMD) at all skeletal sites in early and late postmenopausal women [1, 2]. The anti-fracture efficacy of HRT has been assessed in observational studies, case-control studies, meta-analyses and randomized clinical trials: (Womens Health Initiative), Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), Womens Interventional Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause (WISDOM). Overall, these analyses (except HERS) show that HRT decreases fragility fracture risk by 20-35% [3-5]. Discontinuation of HRT results in acceleration of bone turnover, decrease in BMD and eventual loss of anti-fracture efficacy. However, despite this anti-fracture efficacy and a decrease in the risk for colon cancer, overall health risks generally outweigh benefits from HRT in older postmenopausal women with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events (unstable angina, thromboembolic stroke, venous thromboembolism including pulmonary embolism) and increased incidence of the endometrial and breast cancer [3-6]. HRT can also induce vaginal bleeding and breast tenderness. Finally, HRT may increase the risk of myocardial infarction, ovarian cancer as well as deterioration of the global cognitive function; however, the evidence is weaker. More recent studies show that even low doses of … Continue reading →

Many women do not need treatment for their menopause symptoms. You may find that your symptoms go away by themselves. Or you may not find the symptoms uncomfortable. If you are bothered by your symptoms, talk to your doctor or nurse about ways to relieve them. You can work together to find a treatment that is right for you. Some women find that changing their eating habits and getting more physical activity can help. Others may need medicine to help relieve their symptoms. If your menopause symptoms bother you, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your doctor or nurse can suggest medicines to help with your symptoms. All medicines have risks, and your doctor can help you figure out which medicines are best for you. Menopausal hormone therapy is prescription medicine to help relieve your menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, if they are severe enough to disrupt your daily life. Menopausal hormone therapy is sometimes called hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy. During menopause, your ovaries make very low levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Menopausal hormone therapy replaces some of the hormones no longer made by your ovaries with artificial estrogen and progesterone. Topical … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy For Weight Loss There is a definite case to be made for the role of hormones in weight management. When our hormones are out of balance, we can experience weight gain and sluggishness that leads to less exercise. This reduction in our physical activity can compound the problem by resulting in more weight gain. Luckily, this is a fight you may be able to win by simply changing a few bad habits. Ultimately, learning how to balance your hormones can help you lose weight. First Stop: Stress Many people find that, when under stress, they eat more. While this propensity to over indulge could be the result of an emotional issue, it is more often a result of the hormone Cortisol. Cortisol is released by your body when you have the need for adrenaline; this is often referred to as, fight or flight. If you were in a physically dangerous position and needed extra energy to fight someone or flee from something, the release of some of your stored glucose as a result of Cortisol would give you the energy to punch or run. After a release of Cortisol, you find yourself hungry and exhausted. In todays … Continue reading →

Current or recent past users of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Before the link between HRT use and breast cancer risk was established, many postmenopausal women took HRT for many years to ease menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, fatigue) and to reduce bone loss. Since 2002, when research linked HRT and risk, the number of women taking HRT has dropped dramatically. Still, many women continue to use HRT to handle bothersome menopausal symptoms. There are two main types of HRT: Each type of HRT seems to have a different effect on breast cancer risk. Combination HRT increases breast cancer risk by about 75%, even when used for only a short time. Combination HRT also increases the likelihood that the cancer may be found at a more advanced stage, as well as increasing the risk that a woman diagnosed with breast cancer will die from the disease. Breast cancer risk increases the most during the first 2 to 3 years of taking combination HRT. Higher-dose combination HRT increases breast cancer risk more than lower-dose combination HRT. Breast cancer risk goes back down to average about 2 years after you stop taking combination HRT. … Continue reading →

The Background Of Hormonal Replacement Therapy Back in the early 1930s, James Bertram Collip, a famous Canadian researcher, an educator, a biochemist and the co-discoverer of insulin turned all his attention endocrinology, which is the study of the endocrine system. It was during this era that he introduced and developed the process of isolating and studying gonadotrophic hormones from a womans ovary. He did this by extracting estrogen from the urine of expectant mothers. Although this treatment was initially used to treat the symptoms of menopause, by 1960, James Collips findings had captured the attention and imagination of millions. In 1962, Premarin, the first estrogen pill, was introduced. Ever since then, manufacturers and producers of these hormones have stirred a cultural suspicion that this treatment may be capable of doing more harm than good. Oestrogen was popularized in 1960 with a book entitled Feminine Forever that was written for the masses by a Manhattan gynecologist, Robert Wilson. He had very strong financial ties to some hormone producers which clearly gave him a rather biased perspective. In his book, to the shock of many, he called women who were undergoing menopause castrates especially if they were not making any efforts of … Continue reading →

OUR NATURAL APPROACH Rather than trying to maskyour symptoms, our goal is to address the underlying causes of your health concerns and complaints. For instance, if youre trying to control excess body weight and body fat, is it due to your diet and/or a lack of exercise? Or are other factors, such as estrogen dominance, low testosterone and thyroid deficiencies at fault? In the latter case, Bio-Identical hormones can be part of a larger, more comprehensive solution. It is our belief that hormonal decline causes aging, not the reverse. At Natural Bio Health, we have found that peoples quality of life is greatly affected by a decline in hormonal levels thats visible as they age. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, you may have hormone deficiencies: Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy has countless benefits, join the 1,000s of men and women who have regained their life at Natural Bio Health. As hormone levels drop, women become more at risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease and stroke. Beginning hormone replacement therapy early during the menopause gives greater protection against the onset of these conditions, and several studies have suggested that life-long use of estradiol supplements can provide further protection … Continue reading →

Your body constantly changes throughout your life. Some of these changes are as a result of lifestyle, others are part of the natural aging process, and many more are a combination of the two. For women, one of the most significant changes is a decline in hormone levels, particularly estrogen. Commonly associated with the onset of menopause, falling estrogen levels can have an effect on physical and mental well being. Undertaking estrogen replacement therapy aids in reducing these effects, as well as aiding in preventing a host of other age-related health conditions. Hormones such as estrogen (which is actually a combination of three hormones; estrone, estradiol, and estriol) play a vital role in the female body. In fact, it is now believed that estrogen performs around 400 functions, so it is no wonder that as the levels in the body fall, major changes begin to appear. Among these functions are everything from collagen production to protection from some cancers, and, of course, your sex drive. As your body decides it is past childbearing age and the ovaries slow down or stop altogether, production of estrogen also slows down. As active life spans increase with improved diets and exercise, women want … Continue reading →

Hormonal therapy medicines treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers in two ways: Most of the estrogen in women's bodies is made by the ovaries. Estrogen makes hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers grow. So reducing the amount of estrogen or blocking its action can reduce the risk of early-stage hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers coming back (recurring) after surgery. Hormonal therapy medicines can also be used to help shrink or slow the growth of advanced-stage or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Hormonal therapy medicines are NOT effective against hormone-receptor-negative breast cancers. There are several types of hormonal therapy medicines, including aromatase inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and estrogen receptor downregulators. In some cases, the ovaries and fallopian tubes may be surgically removed to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer or as a preventive measure for women at very high risk of breast cancer. The ovaries also may be shut down temporarily using medication. It's important to know that hormonal therapy IS NOT hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT isn't used to treat breast cancer. HRT is taken by some women to treat troublesome menopausal side effects such as hot flashes and mood swings. HRT is used to raise estrogen levels that drop after menopause. HRT contains estrogen and can contain progesterone … Continue reading →