MORE BLOG POSTS — Hormones

Menopause is a natural stage of life, but for millions of women in the U.S., it comes with more than just hot flashes and night sweats—it carries a heavy emotional, professional, and financial toll. From reduced productivity at work to rising out-of-pocket costs for symptom relief, menopause is quietly draining billions of dollars from the U.S. economy each year. And yet, it remains one of the most overlooked public health and workplace challenges today.   The Annual Cost of Menopause in the U.S.   According to a 2023 Mayo Clinic study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), menopause-related symptoms cost...

Confused about thyroid hormone testing? …You’re not alone. In fact, most patients AND health care practitioners have difficulty understanding hormones in general and thyroid hormone in particular. One reason for this confusion is that many things can affect the way thyroid hormones work in the body.   This can result in a patient having numerous symptoms of thyroid hormone imbalances despite having ‘normal’ blood work. Adding to the challenge of diagnosis is that some thyroid hormone levels can’t be tested in the blood.   BUT…one major reason thyroid hormone imbalances go undiagnosed or aren’t properly treated is that thorough testing is often not ordered by...

  Estrogen Only is NOT Enough!   One-third of all American women over the age of 60 have had a complete hysterectomy? In fact, this is the second most common surgical procedure after C-section. Most women who have their uterus and ovaries removed are never offered hormone replacement therapy for symptomatic relief or disease prevention. Those who are lucky may find a doctor enlightened enough to prescribe hormones. Unfortunately, estrogen only is what is typically prescribed, and this is a problem! While estrogen replacement is essential countless ways, estrogen replacement alone, without the addition of progesterone, can cause a whole host of...

  Protect Your Breasts with DIM There is SO much more to the breast cancer story than we are told by our doctors! It’s not as simple as hormone replacement therapy equals breast cancer! Did you know that a major factor dictating the health of you breast tissue is NOT the absolute amount of estrogen in your body, but the way in which your body metabolizes your estrogen? Let me break this down as simply as possible. Basic Overview of Estrogen Metabolism Your body makes three kinds of estrogen: Estradiol (E2), Estrone (E1), and Estriol (E3). E2 is the most...

In my last blog, I discussed how the flawed research date from the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative Trial resulted in unwarranted fear of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It’s taken 22 years to ‘right the wrong’ way of thinking about the safe use of HRT thanks to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The key findings from this study were that hormone therapy can be safely used by women to alleviate menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats without significantly increasing the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, or stroke. The latest research highlights...