Hormone Replacement Therapy News

"Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Safe?"

November, 2006
Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about Bioidentical—or “natural”—hormone therapy to relieve symptoms of menopause. We know by now that HRT drugs that were prescribed to millions of American women every year are linked to a variety of severe adverse events such as cancer and dementia. But is natural therapy really natural? And is it safer than HRT drugs?

What is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy?

Bioidentical refers to hormones that have been chemically synthesized from natural resources so that they are identical to the hormones produced by a female’s ovaries. So bioidentical hormones are a blend of “custom-compounded” hormones that exactly match the ones outputted by women.

“These over-the-counter products are marketed as being tailored to a woman’s individual needs, typically determined through saliva testing,” said Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, MD, a breast-health specialist. “Manufacturers claim that bioidentical hormones are safer than standard, FDA-approved hormone therapy.”

Many doctors agree that bioidentical hormones are an effective and safe alternative to HRT drugs because they are taken from yams and soy and other natural sources and synthesized into human hormones. “When they enter the blood stream they interact with our cells in the same way that our own hormones do,” Dr. Pruthi says.

Concerns About Bioidentical Hormones

Some women’s health experts, however, believe that the idea of bioidentical hormone therapy as a safer alternative to HRT drugs is based on unfounded and unproven facts.

It is true that bioidentical means natural. But “there is no truth to using wild yam as a source for hormones and having it be natural to the body,” warns traditional naturopath and medical consultant Theresa Dale, PhD. Once the “natural” resources are altered in a laboratory, the substances are changed and can no long be considered natural.

Furthermore, the idea that a women’s exact blend of hormones can be accurately tested is debatable. According to Dale, hormone levels are frequently changing making it unlikely to read the hormone levels from one simple saliva test.

While researchers are only beginning to test bioidentical hormones, the results of some early studies don’t do much for the supposedly “natural” alternative. A 2004 Million Woman Study found that bioidenticals raised the risk of breast cancer and are not any safer than HRT drugs.

For now, many woman’s health experts recommend a number of other alternative hormone therapy treatments, which include dietary changes, natural herbs such as ginseng and black cohosh, and more. Unlike bioidenticals, taking unsynthesized natural herbs truly provides safe, natural menopause treatments.

Harmed by HRT drugs? Pleasecontact us to learn how you may be able to recover your damages through a hormone replacement therapy lawsuit.

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If you are currently taking hormone replacement therapy, the combination of estrogen and progestin, you are advised to contact your doctor IMMEDIATELY for hormone replacement therapy alternatives.

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