Is BIO-HRT Safe and Effective in Women?

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Welcome back to our Bio-HRT series, diving into the world of hormonal optimization for men and women. In our previous blog, we discussed HGH, DHEA, and aging hormones like cortisol and insulin – those pesky culprits that tend to rise as we age. Remember, it’s not just about boosting the hormones that decline with age, like sex hormones; it’s equally crucial to manage these ‘aging hormones’ that tend to spike as time goes on. In that blog, I outlined safe and effective ways to optimize these without direct replacement, something we specialize in at UPY.

Now, let’s delve into the burning question: Is Bio-HRT safe and effective for women? And what does the latest research reveal about Bio-HRT for women and testosterone for men?

Bio-HRT Safety and Effectiveness in Women

Our guide today is the comprehensive, peer-reviewed article from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology. Before we dive in, a reminder: evidence-based medicine guides us towards the safest and most effective options. That’s precisely what I’ve sifted through to present you with the latest research.

Digging Deeper: MidLife Health Guide for Women

I’d recommend a deep dive into my book, the MidLife Health Guide for Women, for an in-depth exploration on whether Bio-HRT is safe and effective in women. Here, we unpack the why behind menopause, touching on the epigenetic clock and how your ovaries are hardwired from fetal stages for this midlife shift. Is menopause a condition demanding treatment, or is it a natural phase designed by nature or a higher power? And what are the alternative ‘natural’ options beyond direct hormonal replacement?

Understanding Menopause and Its Impact

The epigenetic clock, based on age-related changes in gene transcription, kicks off various aspects of ‘biological aging’ during and post-menopause.¹ This involves the intricate hormonal feedback system of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis – the conductors of hormonal equilibrium. Menopause brings along a host of challenges: unwelcome weight gain, sleep disturbances, mood swings, cognitive changes, and declining bone and muscle mass.²³ Early menopause even correlates with heightened risks of diabetes, heart issues, and mortality.⁴⁵⁶ Additionally, a quarter of women experience vasomotor symptoms that can precede menopause by a decade, potentially escalating heart risks.⁷⁸

However, trials like the Women’s Health Initiative showed increased coronary events in OLDER women with various HRT methods.⁹¹⁰ So what gives?

Insights from Recent Research: Key Findings

Let’s refer to the cited article’s key findings:

• Menopause and its aftermath are natural results of ovarian aging, marked by fertility loss and a significant drop in hormone production.
• Menopausal symptoms, with varying intensities, respond well to several agents proven effective in clinical trials.
• The safest initiation of HRT is for women within a decade of menopause or under 60, without contraindications, and with manageable cardiovascular and breast cancer risks.
• Continuing HRT depends on individual preferences, health status, and well-documented shared decision-making.
• While oral HRT has been extensively studied, lower doses and transdermal therapies might offer safer alternatives with potentially fewer adverse effects.

An Expert’s Perspective: Interpreting the Research

My take? Both the authors and I acknowledge the research gaps. There’s a ping-pong of findings, likely due to diverse biological changes, necessitating different safe and effective options based on age, ethnicity, lifestyle, and other individual factors. Timing, type, dosage, and replacement method are critical variables. For instance, younger women on HRT showed better health outcomes, and those solely on conjugated estrogen experienced over 20% lower breast cancer rates over two decades!¹¹

The Path Forward: Tailored Approach to Bio-HRT in Women

So, is Bio-HRT safe and effective in women? As I summarized earlier, it’s a tailored approach in collaboration with an empathetic, experienced doctor who listens to you. Together, we navigate safety concerns and determine the most effective options, constantly monitoring and adjusting your program. Read more at our website.

Stay tuned for our next installment on TESTOSTERONE for men, where we’ll dissect the latest review from the same article. Remember, sign up, ask questions, and better yet, schedule a no-obligation consultation to explore how we can assist you best!

1. Levine ME, Lu AT, Chen BH, et al. Menopause accelerates biological aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016;113(33):9327–9332 ↩︎
2. Thurston RC, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Derby CA, El Khoudary SR, Kravitz HM, Manson JE. Menopause versus chronologic aging: their roles in women’s health. Menopause. 2018;25(8):849–854. ↩︎
3. El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al. Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk: implications for timing of early prevention: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020;142(25):e506–e532. ↩︎
4. Rocca WA, Gazzuola Rocca L, Smith CY, et al. Loss of ovarian hormones and accelerated somatic and mental aging. Physiology (Bethesda). 2018;33(6):374–383. ↩︎
5. Rocca WA, Gazzuola Rocca L, Smith CY, et al. Loss of ovarian hormones and accelerated somatic and mental aging. Physiology (Bethesda). 2018;33(6):374–383. ↩︎
6. Mishra SR, Chung HF, Waller M, Mishra GD. Duration of estrogen exposure during reproductive years, age at menarche and age at menopause, and risk of cardiovascular disease events, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BJOG. 2021;128(5):809–821. ↩︎
7. Thurston RC. Vasomotor symptoms: natural history, physiology, and links with cardiovascular health. Climacteric. 2018;21(2):96–100. ↩︎
8. Thurston RC, Aslanidou Vlachos HE, Derby CA, et al. Menopausal vasomotor symptoms and risk of incident cardiovascular disease events in SWAN. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10(3):e017416. ↩︎
9. Huang AJ, Sawaya GF, Vittinghoff E, Lin F, Grady D. Hot flushes, coronary heart disease, and hormone therapy in postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2009;16(4):639–643. ↩︎
10. Manson JE, Chlebowski RT, Stefanick ML, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy and health outcomes during the intervention and extended poststopping phases of the Women’s Health Initiative randomized trials. JAMA. 2013;310(13):1353–1368. ↩︎
11. Chlebowski RT, Anderson GL, Aragaki AK, et al. 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;324(4):369–380. ↩︎