Hormone Replacement: Ten Facts to Know
- Estrogen replacement in non-oral forms (pellets, patches, gels, creams) does NOT increase the risk of breast cancer.
- As many as 50,000 women may have died unnecessarily because they were taken off their estrogen replacement after the mis-reporting of the findings in the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study.
- Testosterone is an extremely beneficial hormone that women produce, and testosterone levels start to decline at age 40 or sooner. Testosterone replacement is not just for men.
- Testosterone in women is important for energy, libido, mental clarity, healthy bones, optimal sleep, weight management, and mood stabilization.
- Estrogen replacement reduces/eliminates hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, joint pain, insomnia, and moodiness.
- Testosterone replacement in pellet form DECREASES the risk of breast cancer.
- Replacing estrogen and testosterone as we age decreases the risk of the following diseases: heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, obesity, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
- Estrogen decreases the risk of heart disease by reducing the level of total cholesterol, increasing the “good” HDL cholesterol, and reducing inflammation in blood vessels.
- Testosterone helps to build muscle and burn fat and also improves blood flow to the muscles while helping muscles clear lactic acid to reduce post work-out pain.
- Achieving hormonal balance using bioidentical hormone pellet therapy can often eliminate or reduce the need to take medications for depression, anxiety, insomnia, dry eyes, osteoporosis, and arthritis, thereby saving hundreds of dollars a year in prescription and treatment costs.
Want to find out if hormone replacement therapy is right for you? We’re here to help. To schedule, call 309-692-6838 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome!
To your health,
Dr. Couri
Sources Used:
The Secret Female Hormone; How Testosterone Replacement Can Change Your Life: Kathy Maupin, MD. 2014. Hay House Publishing
Sarrel P.M., Njike V.Y., Vinante V., Katz D.L. The Mortality Toll of Estrogen Avoidance: An Analysis of Excess Deaths Among Hysterectomized Women Aged 50 to 59 Years. Am. J. Public Health. 2013;103:1583–1588.
Donovitz, G. Breast Cancer Incidence Reduction in Women Treated with Subcutaneous Testosterone: Testosterone Therapy and Breast Cancer Incidence Study; Eur J Breast Health 2021; 17(2): 150-156.
Chlebowski, R. Association of Menopausal Hormone Therapy With Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality During Long-term Follow-up of the Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Clinical Trials; JAMA 2020. July28;324(4):369-80.