Are you concerned about the safety
of taking hormone replacements?

by Lisa Lilienfield, MD
QUICK LINKS
Recent Washington Post Article on Study of Health Risks Associated with Prempro


Article: Are Bioidentical Hormones for You?


Video: The Female Brain in Menopause


Make a Comment or Ask a Question
Greetings! 
 

Many of my patients are confused and worried about the news reports they've heard about a study on hormone replacementsDr. Lisa recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the new study, there is an increased risk of invasive breast cancer in women on the hormone therapy, Prempro as compared to placebo.

 
Prempro is a combination of Premarin, an estrogen extracted from pregnant mares, and Provera which is a progestin, a molecular analogue to the hormone progesterone.
 

The study was a continuation of the Women's Health Initiative involving 10,000 women. They found that those women on Premarin plus Provera had a higher incidence of breast cancer and more node positive cancers than those taking placebo. In the previous reports from the Women's Health Initiative, the women who took only estrogen had no increase in breast cancer.


This seems to point to the problem with the progestin, an unnatural progesterone-like hormone that has a very different effect on the body. For example, progestins can cause birth defects if pregnant women take it.  But progesterone, in some cases, is used to sustain a pregnancy; and while a progestin can cause bloating, headaches, high blood pressure, and irritability, a natural progesterone has the opposite effect.


More studies need to be done using more natural hormones like progesterone (oral Prometrium or compound progesterone) and other estrogens that are more like a woman's natural hormones, estradiol and estriol.
 

At Kaplan Center, we only prescribe natural (bioidentical) hormones and in doses that alleviate symptoms while minimizing risks. Every women differs in her medical history, family history, and symptomatology; therefore, treatment must be tailored for each woman (and man, in the case of andropause) while being cognisant of risks and current reliable research.
 

Please see the articles and video posted in the "Quick Link" section in the left column, and click here to ask a question or make a comment.

 

As always, you have my best wishes for your optimal health,


Dr. Lisa Lilienfeld