HAVE NO FEAR, BIO-IDENTICALS ARE HERE                  

Michael F. Augustino, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

It has been 8 or more years since the over publicized and over exagerated risks of hormone therapy hit the news. This has been a serious disservice to women, creating a fear of hormones which has been blown out of proportion.

I am a board certified OB/GYN and have been practicing for 25 years. Many of my patients suffer from changes associated with their ovaries in approach to menopause or in reaching full menopause. As a result of the above mentioned studies and a genuine interest in finding a suitable solution, I spent nearly a year researching the medical literature with regard to bioidentical hormones. The prior studies with regard to risks of hormone therapy, causing all of today's fears, had to do with synthetic hormones. Those risks do not pertain to bioidenticals.

My purpose for writing this article is to alleviate the fears and increase an understanding of bioidentical hormone therapy. We use hormones in many other aspects of medicine. Where would we be today if it were not for insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas to regulate blood sugar? Many of us may not have been born if insulin never came into use. Pregnancy associated with uncontrolled diabetes can be lethal to an unborn infant and even a pregnant woman. With insulin therapy, many diabetcs experience a normal prenatal course and give birth to healthy normal babies.

We also use hormones to regulate our thyroid. Thyroid disorders are a common medical problem which in most cases can easily be controlled with hormone medication and guidance of a physician.

If a child falls off the growth curve and has short stature, a conultation with a specialist with regards to growth hormone is considered. We have many situations where hormone therapy promotes health and compensates for a deficiency in production.

When you consider today's population and average life span, women will spend over 1/3 of their lives in menopause (lack of ovarian function). I have a symptom list availiable in m exam rooms listing over 35 symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. Many times in greeting a patient, they will express that, "I am having 30 out of 35 of these symptoms."

At some point in a woman's life, menopause is inevitable.

Bioidentical hormones can alleviate symptoms associated with lack of estrogen and testosterone as these levels fall with age. Quality of life is improved, skin tone, hair, nails, energy, libido, memory are all improved. Health benefits are also part of Bioidentical hormone therapy. After using natural hormones, women experience an increase in bone density which protects against osteoporosis. Muscle metabolism is also improved leading to an increase in muscle mass and reduction of body fat. Testosterone protects your heart and heart disease is the number one medical problem in this country.