The data on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) continues to evolve and accumulate. The Menopause Society’s 2022 statements on hormone replacement therapy are a great place to start informing yourself. I encourage you to read them in full, but to summarize, the previous “rules” about starting women on hormone replacement after age 60 or starting women on hormone replacement ten or more years post menopause have changed.
Until recently, post-menopausal women were told that replacement therapy, including the BHRT approach we utilize at Revive, increased risks for cancer, heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. They were also told that the “window” for starting hormone optimization was narrow, and if they were more than 10 years post- menopause, they’d missed their chance.
Fortunately, recent well-done studies and data analysis demonstrate that this simply isn’t true. In fact, for most women over age 60 or over ten years post-menopause, BHRT REDUCES health risks while dramatically increasing quality of life.
The first key to well-executed hormone optimization is individualization of treatment. There is no set formula to follow. Each woman’s symptoms, goals, health history, lifestyle, diet, and activity level need to be carefully factored into the equation. Most of the time, personalized bioidentical hormone therapy can be safely and effectively used to help reduce pain, increase energy, improve the health and appearance of skin, restore libido, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, boost bone density, and strengthen the pelvic floor,
The second key is to fuse BHRT’s vigor and vitality transformation with optimized nutrition and fitness. Many peri and post -menopausal women are deeply frustrated by their “poor return on investment” with diet and exercise. The understandable temptation is to reach for one of the GLP-1 medications. While there are certainly roles for these drugs, we feel that a better route is to recreate the youthful hormone levels that allow healthy eating and well-designed resistance training to shine.
Chronological aging is unavoidable, but don’t let this discourage you. Hormone optimization can transform your peri and post-menopause years. We encourage you to set up a consultation to learn how BHRT can help you live your best life.