Hormone Replacement Therapy -- Age Management

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Blood levels of many different hormones peak during our teens and twenties, then decline throughout life. Hormone deficiencies thus occur in later life that contribute to adverse health and quality-of-life problems . Some hormones decline abruptly, such as estrogen and progesterone at menopause, and other hormones decline slowly and steadily over the decades, including human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone, DHEA, and melatonin. If hormone levels routinely measured from the ages of 20 through 40 were safe and necessary for health and vitality, then it stands to reason that restoring those same levels with natural, bioidentical hormones with advancing age may also be safe and beneficial.

Your first step is to find a health care provider knowledgeable in this area. Blood testing is the most accurate way to determine whether replacement is medically indicated. Although saliva tests are used by some providers, we believe that blood tests allow a much more accurate assessment. (Saliva levels vary widely from with state of hydration, hunger, and satiety) In addition, you should have a thorough physical examination with a detailed medical history before commencing a program of HRT. Bear in mind that HRT means hormone replacement therapy: REPLACEMENT of deficient levels back to normal levels. HRT is not appropriate for healthy, younger people who are merely seeking enhancement of their normal levels. Laboratory testing and physical findings on examination are used to scientifically determine whether hormone levels are normal or have become deficient. If you are a suitable candidate for HRT, an individualized treatment plan can then be designed. Links to detailed information for each hormone are listed below:

UPDATED CHAPTERS FROM DR. CRANTON'S BOOK, RESETTING THE CLOCK

Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Testosterone

DHEA

Estrogen and Progesterone

Melatonin

Thyroid

OTHER HRT TOPICS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Endocrinology of Aging

HRT helps Syndrome-X, Alzheimer's, Heart Disease, Cancer Survival, Skin Appearance

Oral HGH?? Highly Unlikely

Potential Dangers of Generic HGH

The rapid decline in estrogen suffered by millions of women during menopause, and the ensuing problems brought on by this deficiency (from hot flashes, fatigue, and depression to heart disease and osteoporosis), caught the attention of the medical community. Today, after many carefully designed studies, estrogen replacement therapy is an accepted method of reversing this process that once was considered an inescapable part of growing old.

This leads to the obvious question: Will replacement of other important hormones that decline with age also have a positive effect? Dr. Cranton, an expert in hormone therapy, says YES! As he explains in his latest book Resetting The Clock, restoring youthful levels of hormones that decline as the body ages can keep you looking and feeling young longer than you ever thought possible. The most important chapters have recently been updated and can be read on this website at the links below.

Updated chapters from the Dr. Cranton's book, Resetting the Clock

Potential Dangers Using So-called Generic or Compounded HGH

The Promise of Longevity, an overview

Your Glands and You, What are Hormones and How do they Work

HGH, the Maintenance and repair Hormone

HGH: The Body of Evidence

HGH: What You Should Know if You Plan to Take It

Cautions about Generic HGH

Help finding an Anti-aging and HRT Provider

Human Growth Hormone

Always known to be vital in childhood, HGH is now recognized as a major player in the repair and upkeep of the adult body and has such startling effects in older people that it alone might significantly extend longevity and improve quality of life. Studies show that HGH can significantly reverse the adverse effects of aging: Patients lose fat and gain muscle without diet or exercise; They heal faster and see a boost in their energy level.

HGH, the Maintenance and repair Hormone

Growth Hormone Replacement Found Safe for Long Term Use

Cautions about Generic HGH

HGH: The Body of Evidence

HGH Replacement Increases Exercise Endurance 7%, Reduces Fat 4%

Testosterone

This male hormone has become some men's secret weapon against aging. Will it go mainstream, as estrogen has done? We are on the verge of such a breakthrough. Carefully restoring youthful levels of this hormone can renew strength and potency, even in old age.

Testosterone Replacement: The Male Andropause

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)

T DHEA is our chief adrenal hormone that has many mysterious roles and functions in the body. If we now recognize its importance, it is largely because we observe the extraordinary benefits that supplementation with replacement doses of DHEA can produce. Studies show that restoring DHEA to youthful levels increases energy and vigor, boosts the immune system, and lowers the risk of cancer and heart attacks.

DHEA: A Master Hormone in Search of Its Identity

Estrogen / Progesterone

The female body does not usually respond well to the sudden and almost total deprivation of its sex hormones during menopause. After menopause, women who replace those deficient hormones learn how vitalizing and invigorating estrogen and progesterone can be. Contrary to recent sensationalistic and frightening media coverage, a large number of published studies over the past 20 years show that women who take hormone replacement live longer, with no evidence for a significant increase in death. Hormone replacement is shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, heart attack, stroke, cancer, cataracts, sexual functioning, and more. Overall death rate from all causes reduced by up to 40%. There are many different kinds and combinations of hormones available but only bioidentical hormones are recommended. Improper replacement can nullify potential benefits. Choosing a physician with the latest knowledge and experience using bioidentical hormones is important . Click on the links below for a summary of the published scientific research on this important topic and a more lengthy article on Estrogen: Restoring a Woman's Losses.

Estrogen Replacement after Menopause Believed Safe and Highly Beneficial

Estrogen: Restoring a Woman's Losses

Melatonin

The major product of our brain's pineal gland, melatonin, ensures a good night's sleep. However, more importantly, it might also control the body's aging clock. This hormone has received much attention, and is cheap and easy to get. Animal experiments suggest that melatonin. could greatly extend the human life span.

A Tour of Melatonin

Additional HRT Articles:

Thyroid Disorders Often Undiagnosed

Endocrinology of Aging

Growth Hormone Replacement with Aging

Patient Instructions for HGH Administration -- for Mount Rainier Clinic Patients).

Cancer and Hormone Replacement?

HGH Replacement by Oral Route or Nasal Spray? Very Doubtful

Testimonial from a Retired Physician taking HGH

HRT in the News:

Growth Hormone and Syndrome X

Testosterone and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Estrogen Is An Option For Cancer Survivors

Testosterone May Be Protective Against Alzheimer's

Estrogen Replacement After Menopause Prevents Skin Aging

GROWTH HORMONE REPLACEMENT REVERSES SYNDROME X

Syndrome X reduces cardiovascular disease risk factors of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and decreased insulin sensitivity (preventing effective control of blood sugar, leading to non-insulin dependent diabetes). A recent placebo controlled study conducted at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden showed that long term human growth hormone (HGH) therapy can reduce morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. The study reported on 30 men, ages 48-66, with symptoms of syndrome X. These men were treated for 9 months with physiologic doses of either human growth hormone or placebo in a double-blind trial. The men receiving HGH had the following improvements: visceral fat decreased by 18%, subcutaneous fat decreased by 6%, insulin sensitivity improved by 21%, diastolic blood pressure declined by 5 mm Hg, total serum cholesterol dropped by 11%, and serum triglycerides dropped 15%. No changes were noted in those men receiving placebos.

Johannsson G, Marin P, Lonn L, Ottosson M, Stenlof K, Bjorntorp P, Sjostrom L,
Bengtsson BA. Growth hormone treatment of abdominally obese men reduces abdominal fat mass,
improves glucose and lipoprotein metabolism, and reduces diastolic blood
pressure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Mar;82(3):727-34.

LOW TESTOSTERONE A CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR

Recent clinical studies demonstrate that low testosterone levels are associated with a higher cardiovascular risk. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, established a link between low testosterone levels and impaired insulin sensitivity. This and other studies have shown that testosterone supplementation in middle-aged obese men with slightly decreased testosterone levels reduces abdominal fat tissue and improves insulin sensitivity (the cells response to insulin) and fat metabolism. Studies have also shown that testosterone supplementation lowers total and LDL (so-called bad) cholesterol.

Simon D, et al. Association between total testosterone and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy adult men: the Telecom study, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 1997; 82:682-5.

ESTROGEN IS AN OPTION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Physicians at a meeting of the North American Menopause Society argued that, for many women, the benefits of hormone replacement therapy far outweigh the risks of a breast cancer recurrence. These potential benefits include prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and memory loss. Wendy Brewster, MD, a gynecologic oncology fellow at the University of California, Irvine said, ". . .the standard practice has remained to prohibit breast-cancer survivors from receiving estrogen replacement. Reappraisal of this standard is essential and long overdue." Studies have shown that cancer patients exposed to replacement levels of estrogen live as long as those who were not exposed to the hormone. One study compared 261 women who had used estrogen prior to being diagnosed with cancer to 6,617 breast cancer patients who never took estrogen. After following these women for nine years, the researchers reported that patients who took hormones were 10% more likely to have survived than those who did not take hormones. Dr. Richard Santen, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, stated, ". . .it is reasonable to consider estrogen in women whose prognosis of being cured of breast cancer is excellent. This would include women with small tumors that have not spread to the lymph nodes, patients who have been disease-free for a long period of time, and those who have tumors that do not appear to be sensitive to estrogen." Dr. Brewster added, "Instead of warning women against HRT, physicians should consider counseling these patients about the theoretical risks and well-substantiated benefits of estrogen replacement therapy to allow them to make a rational decision on an individual basis."

Carroll L. Estrogen therapy becoming an option for cancer survivors. Medical Tribune. October 9, 1997. 21

TESTOSTERONE AND ESTROGEN PROTECTIVE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Recent reports have identified a protective effect of estrogen in the development of Alzheimer's disease, and new studies show that testosterone may exert an even stronger preventive effect. Dr. Papasozomenos, a researcher at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School, has been studying the effects of estrogen and testosterone on the brain tissue of rats. The results, which he presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that testosterone may exert a greater neuro-protective effect than estrogen.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 1997;94:6612-6617

ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT AFTER MENOPAUSE PREVENTS SKIN AGING

An analysis of 3875 women who took estrogen replacement after menopause were evaluated before and after 10 years of estrogen therapy. Careful skin examination showed a decrease in skin wrinkling and dryness in women who took estrogen.

Dunn LB, Damesyn M, et al. Does Estrogen Prevent Skin Aging? Arch Derm 1997;133 (March); 339-342.