Risks Associated With Bio Identical Hormones – Real or Perceived?
Menopause, which is the permanent end to fertility, and by extension menstruation in the life of a woman, is a natural part of the biological process of the female body. The physical and emotional symptoms of menopause can be rather disruptive and frustrating for women. Many women have always considered such negative experiences as unavoidable, but new research has shown that such symptoms are indeed preventable, and they occur as a result of hormonal imbalances within the body; as a result of menopause. Consequently, women all over the globe are actively seeking information about the beneficial treatments which may be available to them, such as bio-identical hormone therapy.
For the hundreds of thousands of women, who suffer through the indignities of the side-effects of menopause; the relief provided by bio-identical hormones is gladly welcomed. For most, nothing could be worse than the menopause-related symptoms they currently experience, and as a result, they assume that anything which alleviates these symptoms can’t be all that bad.
But is this assumption really correct? The phrase ‘bio identical hormone therapy’, is used to describe a form of hormonal therapy which contains estrogen and other hormones in combinations which are identical to the naturally occurring hormones produced in females, primarily by the ovaries. A major feature of bio identical hormones is the use of compounding; this occurs when a pharmacist uses a saliva test to concoct a unique blend of hormones based on an individual’s hormonal needs. Herein lies one of the most problematic issues as it regards bio-identical hormone treatment. Because each compounded batch of hormones is different, there is absolutely no way that each batch can be subjected to FDA approval, as they cannot all be tested to determine if the hormones included are at appropriate or even predictable levels. And if that wasn’t enough, the hormone readings of women experiencing menopause are extremely erratic and unpredictable, thus rendering the saliva-test useless.
Bio identical hormones have experienced a surge in popularity in the past few years, partially because they have been heavily endorsed by celebrities, and partially because of the discovery of new evidence, which divulges increased health risks linked to ‘standard hormone therapy’.
The risks associated with the use of bio-identical hormones are well documented. Studies have concluded that, although bio-identical hormones have proven to be effective in treating menopausal symptoms, it does pose a significant risk to women in terms of an increased vulnerability to heart disease, strokes and breast cancer. To be absolutely unbiased, bio identical hormone treatments do significantly lower the incidences of osteoporosis as well as colon cancer in many females. However, these benefits were statistically minute when compared to the overall risks of using the treatment in general.
Frighteningly, bio identical hormone treatment is currently being touted as a relatively safe alternative to standard hormone therapy. It might be safer, or it might not be; it is simply not known at this point. What is known, however, is that the risks associated with the use of bio-identical hormone therapy are real and very present.
