Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Caveats: HRT and Men's HRT
Women's Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Women who are not experiencing hot flashes may actually feel worse on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), experiencing less energy and greater declines in physical functioning while taking estrogen and progesterone. Since the therapy increases the risk of breast cancer, blood clots and gall bladder disease, it should not be taken without careful consideration. (People's Pharmacy, public radio, Feb. 9, 2002)
Kathrine Rexrode, M.D., a physician at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, says there has been a common perception among patients and their physicians that HRT keeps women young, despite a lack of scientific evidence backing this up. It does appear that women on HRT see their health care provider more often, may exercise a little more, eat a little better and have a lower body mass. The question is, 'Is it the women or the hormones?' (Webmd.com - Feb. 2002)
More evidence that HRT can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. A new study in the journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at HRT with estrogen alone or estrogen plus progestin and researchers found that women who were long term users of combination hormones had a 60 to 80 percent higher risk of any breast cancer. More alarming, their risk of a serious type of tumor called lobular breast cancer more than tripled.. these findings add fuel to the fire that the benefits of HRT may not always outweigh the risks. (People's Pharmacy, public radio, Feb. 16, 2002, show #395)
Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center found that estrogen use was not associated with an increased risk of diabetes overall, but when researchers took into account the length of time on the therapy, an increased risk became apparent. ("Study Reveals Estrogen Role in Diabetes," Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs, March 2002)
Health issues are based on faith, not facts. In a 2 week period there has been bad news about the value of hormone-replacement drugs for cardiovascular health, low-fat diets for weight loss and knee surgery for arthritis. None of those presumed benefits had convincing evidence behind them. They had been taken largely on intuitive faith and buttressed by growing industries. Studies frustrate us because we want convenient solutions - pills and cures. ("Some Health Ideas Based on Faith, Not Facts," Kevin Lamb of the Dayton Daily News health writer, healthy.net - July 2001)
JAMA reports that the risks of hormones clearly outweigh the benefits when women who are postmenopausal take them for more than 5 years - increasing their risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke and blood clots. More than 6 million women in the U.S. currently take estrogen and progestin (Prempro) combination therapy for a variety of reasons. These findings support the recent American Heart Association recommendations that postmenopausal women should not take hormone therapy to lower their risk of heart disease. Please recognize that the progestin drug used in this study was not the same as human progesterone, but a synthetic derivative. (JAMA July 17, 2002) Dr. Joseph Mercola states that the drug companies knew that estrogen was dangerous for many years, and deceived the public so they could sell their hormone replacements. ("Bombshell - Major Premarin Trial Halted," mercola.com - July 2002)
While doctors and drug companies may try to minimalize the disastrous effects of HRT to a women's health, the most important point about the use of estrogen and progestin is that the US government and the World Health Organization has declared them carcinogenic (prescribing women 2 carcinogenic drugs!). The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has included them in their list of known carcinogens. Together they have over 120 possible risks and side-effects - a frightening recipe for disaster. Hormonal imbalances are symptoms of poor health.
A review of 22 previous studies, HRT does not benefit bones, although women have been told for years that it does. Many of the trials were of questionable quality, and most were not designed to gauge fracture risk, according to some experts. There is no solid evidence that Premarin reduces fractures, and no significant benefit for older women (the age group most at risk). JAMA June 13, 2002. ("Premarin Fails to Benefit Bones, So Let's Use Fosamax Instead???" mercola.com - July 2002)
Both The New England Journal of Medicine (1998) and the Annals of Internal Medicine (1998) reported that the drug alendronate (Fosamax) prevents osteoporosis in younger postmenopausal women with the same effectiveness as hormone therapy. These studies were funded by Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Dr. Joseph Mercola states that Fosamax is in the same chemical class (phosphonate) that is used in the cleansers to remove soap scum from your bath tub. This is a metabolic poison that actually kills osteoclasts, which are the cells that remove the bone so they can actually rebuild the bone. If you kill these cells, your bones will get denser, but 4 years later the bone becomes weaker even though it is more dense. Bone requires the removal and 'replacement' of new bone to stay strong. Fosamax does not build any new bone. The true solution is to go on natural progesterone, which is the only substance I know of that will actually increase bone strength and density. There should also be other basics in place, such as, adequate amounts of calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and copper, plus exercise and avoidance of items that damage bone. ("Does Fosamax (Aldrenoate) Prevent Bone Loss? Two New Studies Say It Does, I Say Beware!" mercola.com - July 2002)
Men's Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
As men grow older their testosterone level drops a little more than 1 percent each year after age 40. This results in a condition called andropause or male menopause - which manifests with moodiness, memory loss, a gradual decline in sex drive, and a lack of energy, strength and endurance. Less obvious problems are the decrease of lean muscle mass and bone mineral density in the spine. These conditions often conspire to create a gradual passivity and disinterest in life. In April of 2000, a panel of 13 respected endocrinologists concluded that andropause is a genuine health concern, and that all men over 50 should be screened for a deficiency of testosterone. The 'normal' range of testosterone set was the typical range for men in their 20's. The funding for this conference of the Endocrine Society Conference was 'Unimed,' maker of Unimed Androgel which was approved by the FDA 2 years ago and is now the fastest growing and most aggressively marketed TRT (running about $250/month).
What was not reported until recently was that 9 of the 13 conference panelists (including the chair and co-chair) had financial ties to Unimed. The method of diagnosis by reading testosterone levels is unreliable, for throughout the day a man's testosterone level may vary widely, and no one knows the long term effects of TRT, so it cannot be regarded as safe. The known effects of TRT include testicular shrinkage, abnormal enlargement of the breasts and an elevation in circulating blood cell level which can lead to stroke and heart failure. In addition to this, existing prostate cancer cells are stimulated into rapid growth when additional testosterone is introduced to the system. We assume that no doctor would prescribe TRT to a patient at risk for prostate cancer, but some prostate cancer cells are simply too small to detect and introducing testosterone to any man who may have these slow-growing cells would be like putting a super-grow fertilizer in a garden. HRT marketing ran far ahead of safety and women have paid dearly for trusting hormone replacement therapy. Will we be saying the same about men who put their faith in this expensive gel? (Health Sciences Institute e-Alert, August 2002)