Hormone Replacement Therapy In Women: The Evidence
by Sangeeta Pati, MD, FACOG.
Editor’s note: We asked both Dr. Pati and Dr.Harding to shed some light on key health issues focusing on preventive measures. Much of what they commented on is similar; yet they each offer important and timely advice.
With the knowledge that we will live longer than those before us, comes the quest to live better than those before us. Will we be in a wheel chair with scarce recollection of our past? Or will we be walking, talking, energetic and happy? There is a whole world of science behind the restoration of optimal cellular function through hormones, nutrition, detoxification and balancing of the mind and body.
Are you on a quest for anti-aging remedies? Is there such a thing, a magic pill or a secret solution? Yes, the search for magic pills, age control genes and secret remedies continues, passionately pursued in the world of research. Yes, there is a growing body of evidence that the human life span can be extended, with some Japanese Okinawans living upwards of l 20. But is it the extension of life that intrigues us? Or is it the possibility that we may Jive a productive, happy and disease-free life if we use restorative approaches to correct imbalances before the onset of disease?
Underlying imbalances cause symptoms and disease.
Restorative approaches became a goal for our practice when it became clear that underlying imbalances cause symptoms and disease. For example:
- When we experience weight gain that does not respond to optimal diet and exercise, the metabolic hormones (such as thyroid, cortisol and insulin) are not optimal.
- When our skin loses its vitality, or we lose bone density and cognitive function, hormones (such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) and nutrients are deficient.
- When cholesterol goes up, it is usually because the liver, bowel and gallbladder are not processing cholesterol optimally. Cholesterol also goes up because thyroid and testosterone levels are not ideal.
- When we have headaches, magnesium is usually low.
- When we lose our sex drive, vitality and confidence, testosterone is to blame.
- Anxiety may reflect deficiencies in Omega-3, magnesium, testosterone or progesterone.
The great news is that when the underlying imbalances are corrected, the problem is resolved and the body is protected from degeneration.
Are you in the “optimal range”?
When I think of restorative approaches to health, I think about all the men and women patients that we see daily from age 7 to age 90 with fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, high cholesterol, ADD, fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression. Many of them are on medicaM tions that control symptoms without addressing underlying causes. Many of them have had lab tests reporting them to be in the “normal range.” The question is, are they in the “optimal range”. For example:
- The normal range for Vitamin D is 30-l00 IU’s. Studies show that the incidence of cancer decreases by 50 percent with levels over 70.
- The normal range for testosterone in males is 250-1100 ng/dl. The death rate from strokes and heart attacks is reduced 41 percent when the level is over 564 ng/ dl.
- Although most people over the age of 35 start to experience thyroid dysfunction (such as fatigue, weight gain, depression and brain fog), they often fall in the normal range.
Optimal levels vary from person to person. What is right for me, maybe too low for you. The great news is that when optimal levels are achieved, you will be happy, energetic and disease protected.
What can you do?
To restore your body to prime function, there are five areas, which you should address with help from your healthcare provider:
1. Measure and optimize hormone levels.
2. Measure nutrition status annually with Spectracell™ or NutraEval™, which are covered by most insurance plans. Fifty percent of every plate should be vegetables. Try for eight different colors a day to maximize phytonutrient variety. If you need supplements, they should be selected carefully for purity and with knowledge of your individual nutrient status.
3. Reduce exposure to toxins such as skin and body products with preservatives, house cleaners, plastics that wrap our food and water, GMO foods, and cell phone towers. Enhance elimination through bowel, liver and gallbladder support. Use skin brushing to enhance lymphatic clearing of toxins.
4. Balance the mind. Simplify your life to give energy to those things that are most meaningful. A simple start would be to try 12 weeks of minimal commitments.
5. Balance the body. Practice conscious breathing three times daily and restorative yoga poses. Integrate exercise into your activities of daily living (ie. mop and sweep the floor, wax the car, walk up the first two flights of stairs). Focus on breath, balance and flexibility over cardio heart rate ranges. When you optimize the hormones and nutrients that protect your brain, bone and heart, when you clear toxins and balance the mind and body; you can most certainly achieve intelligent health and beauty from the inside and outside.
Dr Sangeeta Pati practiced obstetrics-gynecology in the Washington D.C., and New York areas for 13 years before opening her integrative medical center, Sajune Institute for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine in Orlando. Her practice offers integrated, evidence based medical therapies, combining conventional, natural and complementary modalities. To learn more visit Sajune.com
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