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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
09 Oct 08 - By Anju Mathur, M.D. Angel Longevity Medical Center
Dr. Mathur specializes in Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy - To find out more about Angel Longevity Medical Center and Anju Mathur, M.D. copy and paste to your browser:
http://angelmedcenter.com
or check out the Business Directory~~~~~~~~~~
The word “Hormone” comes from Greek, meaning “to set in motion”. Hormones are made in endocrine glands and then poured into the blood stream until they reach their destination organ to produce the desired effect. To control your hormones is to control your life. Balancing the hormones alters the expression of genes and thus aging itself. There are over 100 hormones pouring out in your blood stream every day. Hormones affect growth, lubricate joints, strengthen muscles, burn fat, maintain blood pressure, and maintain blood sugar. Hormones create and maintain memory, sex drive, virility, and fertility. They make men men and women women. Hormones wake you up in the morning and put you to sleep at night. Hormones regulate your heartbeat and metabolism.
The traditional view has been that aging is a process with inevitable complications such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia as well as steady decline of physical and cognitive function. There is a popular belief that there is a midlife crisis occurring around age 40. What really happens is that there is a hormonal shift that takes place in the body. All hormones across the board decline steadily and precipitously after age 40. This can even occur as early as age 35. These include glands such as pituitary, thyroid, adrenals and gonads (ovaries or testicles). The thus lowered hormones create aging process and give rise to tremendous amount of physical disability in the form of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer disease, chronic fatigue, low energy, fibromyalgia, memory loss, reduced vitality, reduced stamina, in general reduced enjoyment of life.
One of the theories of aging is reduced level of hormones which in turn start the aging process. So if we want to reverse aging, we would want these hormone levels to be that of a young person at the peak of his vitality and youth. As we are all aware that young people do not get age related diseases and are free of heart disease, arthritis, memory loss, only to name a few. As an anti-aging physician would tell you that in order for us to slow, stop or reverse the process of aging we would need to optimize the hormones across the board. And this could possibly prevent the process of aging, not just treat its complications.
The statistical analysis of 23 trials with more than 39,000 women found that when women started HRT (estrogen with or without progesterone) in their 50s to relieve such menopausal symptoms as hot flashes, their risk of heart attacks or cardiac death fell by 32 percent compared with those receiving a placebo or no treatment. This analysis, by researchers from Cornell and Stanford universities, is published in the April issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The general misconception regarding replacing natural hormones is twofold. Some people would have a limited viewpoint of replacing only female hormones as one goes into menopause. This can be done successfully for a temporary period of time with over the counter hormone creams or ones from chiropractic or nutritionist office. The major drawback of these is that the doses may not be standardized, as these are not quality checked for the exact active ingredient present in these creams or pills. Thus one may not achieve the optimal effects that one desires or may have to take too much of the cream as it could be less dose than it says on the bottle or the tube of the cream.
So antiaging physicians rely on what is called compounding pharmacy. A compounding pharmacist can compound any natural Bioidentical hormone to suit your exact needs with regards to the dose required. Bioidentical means something that would have the exact molecular structure as the substance in the body. The source of the hormone would be natural however it would have to be altered in the lab to make it Bioidentical. Once a substance that is Bioidentical is introduced in the body it would be recognized by the metabolic processes of the body as part of self and would bring about changes identical to the natural hormone produced in the body.
The second drawback is that as the hormones are like a web, no hormone works alone. The hormones have to be balanced with each other. If only one hormone is given over a long period of time it will throw other hormones out of balance or the other hormones may not work as well or the hormone being given will not work as well either after a while. So we need to provide the body with balance of the various hormones. Usually a person would need 3 or 4 hormones to be replaced in correct doses to feel all the hormones being balanced. Laboratory testing is necessary to initiate and monitor hormone replacement therapy optimally.
Growth hormone has been the most debated area of discussion as the ultimate antiaging hormone. Human growth hormone (HGH or GH) is a protein produced in the body that's important not only during childhood but also throughout adulthood. Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, which is known as the "master gland" because it secretes many hormones that control the actions of other glands. A part of the brain called the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland to produce GH, which then travels through the bloodstream to function in other parts of the body.
Even though the name suggests it would promote growth as it is found in abundance during childhood when the child is growing. However it is needed in the body to maintain resilience youthfulness in the skin, bones, cartilage and hair etc. It promotes healing of cartilage, muscle, reduces fat, and creates a lean body, all the positive attributes of young life. After a person has reached adulthood, growth hormone maintains the youthfulness of the body. The drawback of growth hormone with current level of research limits it as an injectable hormone and the most expensive hormone to replace. So as an antiaging physician, I recommend that before replacing growth hormones, one should optimize all of the various other hormones and then as the last step to top it all off, get started on growth hormone, as also now a minimum low dose is required to balance it all out in the body. And that makes it economical as well.
In essence one should strive to get all his hormones balanced as would be in the younger person of 35 years of age. This would minimize the effects of aging and would promote good health, vitality and longevity.
