Dr Bollmann, Skin Care and Anti-Aging Specialist

Finally, an article about the true story about hormone replacement therapy.

As a gynecologist, I have long touted the benefits of HRT. Time and again I have seen the positive effects of HRT. Studies have shown that there are 70% less deaths from ALL diseases in women who take hormones. And the only argument about estrogen and Alzheimer's disease is whether it prevents it 70% or 90%! For me, the best effect of estrogen is on the brain - preventing memory loss and deterioration. It also prevents heart disease, osteoporosis, and even breast cancer is 20% less in women taking the right estrogen.

What is the right estrogen? It is bio-identical hormones - these are the same hormones that are in the body. In 2002, the study that condemned hormone replacement, the study used Provera, a very strong progestogen that should not be used, in my opinion.

The fact is that every cell in your body needs estrogen to function properly. Even the skin is affected; estrogen is the best topical treatment for the skin, sec ond only to Retin-A (Bare Skin Care's Vitamin A serum has Retinaldehyde, a retinoid obtainable over the counter without prescription).

Highlights of an article in Hormonal Replacement Therapy | Women's Health in March 2017:

     A stunning early termination of a study in 2002 on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which erroneously indicated that HRT caused heart attacks and breast cancer, led both doctors and their patients to abandon the treatment worldwide. The real cause of the trial termination was for other reasons not related to any serious side effects or harm from HRT.

     Described as distorted reporting by one professor, the after effects of the 2002 report has been described as a cascade of fear as women began to disavow hormone replacement therapy. As the facts trickled out, it was discovered that reputable scientists involved in that study were not mentioned in the report. Moreover, some of the claims in the report were unsubstantiated and conflicted with the scientific data and thus the study protocol had been deserted.

     The study was lacking in recently menopausal women thus distorting the results in an unscientific manner. The result to this date was a 15 year period of untreated patients with difficult menopausal symptoms. One in three women has severe symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia, mood & anxiety disorders and joint pain. Women have not only been deprived of symptom relief, but they have additionally been denied the other benefits of HRT. These would include protection against bone loss and fracture.

     The second half of the trial was omitted from the published study and had data that was contrary to the original report. The omitted part of the study was reported two years later and showed that HRT reduced the risk of breast cancer and heart attacks in women under 60 years of age. In recent years, hormone replacement therapy has improved with the help of subsequent clinical trials proving that HRT regimens could prevent heart disease and hip fractures.

     It is now apparent that HRT is an effective preventative treatment if prescribed to healthy women who have been postmenopausal within 10 years, and the benefits outweigh the risks. For most women, HRT can help alleviate many menopausal symptoms as they make this important transition in their lives.

Summary: Women with no contraindications should take HRT, in the form of bioidentical hormones, and should start as soon as possible after entering the menopause.