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Curious about Pellet Therapy?

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Questions about hormone therapy come up frequently in the Menopause Chicks Private Online Community.

It’s common for women who might be experiencing things like brain fog, low libido, vaginal dryness, headaches, anxiety, depression, hot flashes/night sweats and even dry skin or hair loss—to investigate hormone therapy and the different modes of delivery available.

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Recently, we have heard about pellet therapy from a number of women in our community—some who have regained quality of life as a result of pellet therapy, some who heard about pellet therapy from their physicians, and others who are curious and beginning to be proactive with their midlife health. So, we sat down with the owner of SottoPelle Therapy so we can all learn more.

Tune into my conversation with CarolAnn Tutera—and be sure to stay on to the 18 minute mark, as CarolAnn talks about hormone changes in men too!

What is pellet therapy?

Pellet therapy is an innovative way of delivering hormone therapy. By inserting pellets (about the size of a grain of rice) under the skin, this precision delivery method transports a customized dose of hormones through the blood stream, around the clock.

Why might a woman choose pellet therapy?

  • Pellet therapy has been around for more than 70 years
  • It’s a viable way for women to avoid the hormone roller coaster
  • Delivering hormone therapy via pellets ensures that the prescribed dose is absorbed into a woman’s blood stream; the most reliable delivery method available as pills, patches and creams can be deemed inconvenient and inconsistent. With pellet therapy, there’s nothing to remember. Each treatment is tailored to suit the individual needs of the woman rather than a one-size-fits all or guesswork approach. It contains low-does estradiol and testosterone that release slowly for three to six months and includes regular monitoring and adjustments when your body needs it.
  • Because the treatment is customized to each individual, doctors who administer pellet therapy are not merely treating symptoms but they treat the whole person. In addition, women will often choose pellet therapy because they are interested in quality of life NOW, and keen to invest in their longevity and vitality down the road—by protecting their cognitive health, preventing osteoporosis—as well as simply replenishing what their bodies need.

What options are available for men?

Men are frequently pleased when their partners/wives choose pellet therapy as they recognize how effectively it restores her quality of life. But men are also advocates of pellet therapy for their own health too—for similar reasons as women. You see, as a rule, men don’t experience the drastic roller coaster of hormone fluctuation that women do (although some do!), they do have experiences in midlife such as fatigue, brain fog, low libido and anxiety and depression that can be addressed with personalized hormone therapy.

Where can I learn more?

CarolAnn Tutera is the owner of SottoPelle Therapy
The first step is a consultation. SottoPelle Therapy is available throughout the USA.

Find a doctor in your area by visiting SottoPelleTherapy.com

 

Benefits of BHRT in Perimenopause & Menopause

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Many women find perimenopause and menopause symptoms take them by surprise. Some don’t go to the doctor until they are in the throes of fatigue, mood swings, low sex drive and hot flashes to name a few. They are remiss to seek treatment because they’ve heard that solutions such as hormone replacement therapy may be hazardous to their health. So they white-knuckle it in silence. We had the opportunity of interviewing an expert, Dr. Gino Tutera, who spent many years investigating ways to help women during menopause feel normal during this tough time in life. Dr. Tutera found hormone replacement methods were the best way to help women during their menopausal years before creating his unique pellet therapy approach. He is SottoPelle® Founder and Medical Director of SottoPelle Hormone Replacement Therapy. Following are his answers to the questions we asked him, to inform our readers. He explained that all hormone replacement therapies are not the same.

BHRT benefits in perimenopause & menopause

You can feel better about yourself again

Viva Fifty.- How and when should women consult a doctor about their peri-menopausal or menopausal symptoms?
Dr. Gino Tutera.- Women should not wait until symptoms strike before checking their hormone levels. As we age, our hormone levels decline. Recent studies show that women are experiencing peri-menopause and menopause at much earlier ages than expected. By age 40, most women are totally depleted of normal levels of estrogen and have lost nearly all their progesterone and more than half of their testosterone. These fluctuating levels can lead to more serious health issues since many diseases are correlated with hormonal imbalances. Estrogen impacts cognitive function and testosterone affects the heart, breast and bones. In order to protect their health, women need to check their hormonal balance regularly starting at age 40.

Viva Fifty.- What are bio-identical hormones in layperson language and how can women benefit from them?
Dr. Tutera.- Bio-identical hormones (BHRT) are natural, plant-derived compounds that have the same molecular structure as those made by the human body – as opposed to other traditional forms of hormone therapy (HRT), which are synthetic, or pharmaceutical. The molecular structure of bio-identical hormones is identical to the hormones produced naturally by the human body, hence the name. Therefore they are better assimilated without the dangerous side effects associated with synthetic hormones.

Viva Fifty.- How many years can women take these hormones and how costly are they?Dr. Tutera.- Hormonal imbalances can strike a woman at any age and are not reserved just for older women in menopause. The need for hormones all depends each individual woman’s levels and a simple blood test is used to measure that. Since bio-identical hormones are natural without the harmful side effects of pharmaceutical hormones, there is no limit to the time frame in which a woman can take them if she needs them. Since our food, water and environment are loaded with toxic chemicals, this disrupts the body’s delicate endocrine system which leads to hormonal balance. Women can protect their health by maintaining proper hormonal balance at any age.

The cost for bio-identical hormone therapy is around $300 with the pellet method and lasts an average of 3-4 months. So the monthly cost is $75. The blood test costs vary depending on what lab is used but generally run less than $100 and is usually covered by most health insurance.

Also Read: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helped me be a better mom

BHRT benefits in perimenopause and menopause

You can kiss hot flashes goodbye

Viva Fifty.- Beyond HRT or BHRT, what else can women do to improve their self-image and self-esteem during perimenopause, menopause and beyond?
Dr. Tutera.- Women can learn to love themselves at any age. The best way for women to improve their self-image and self-esteem is to start with inner health and happiness … the beauty that radiates from the inside out.

Body type and self-image for women are undergoing a rapid shift with the dramatic rise in America’s aging population. Today there are 78 million Americans over age 55 and over half of them are women. And one in every three people is over 50. This means vast numbers of women are facing aging issues and experiencing menopause. So the demand for more reasonable body images and role models is changing to serve the needs of this aging female demographic. There has been a louder voice for acceptance for those who do not meet the weight and image standards we see on TV, magazines, social media and basically everywhere.

Dr. Ivanka Prichard, a behavioral psychologist, is one advocate leading a research team to determine if the new “fit-spirational” trends do women’s body image and psychological health more harm than good. “Healthy is the new skinny!” she declares.

Viva Fifty.- What about women´s fear of cancer due to HRT?
Dr. Tutera.-  It’s a misguided perception based on synthetic HRT, not natural BHRT. Some misunderstanding persists around hormones because many people and even doctors don’t realize that there are two different kinds – synthetic and bio-identical.

When the Women’s Health Initiative released a report in 2002 citing the dangerous side effects of synthetic hormones, it gave all hormones a bad reputation. To this day most news reports fail to make this critical distinction between the two different types of hormones and thus all forms of hormones are falsely considered dangerous. BHRT began in Europe in the 1930’s and is backed by over 75 years of research.

Extensive research shows that cancer is associated with synthetic or pharmaceutical HRT. Numerous studies point to the health benefits of BHRT in helping to protect women against breast cancer. Here are four as an example:

Tutera, D. Gambrell, Marked reduction of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer in users of bio-identical estradiol and testosterone subcutaneous pellets, Maturitas, 2013: “Subcutaneous estradiol and testosterone pellets do not increase the risk of development of any of these cancers and, in fact, may be protective.”

Natrajan and Gabrell, American Journal of OB-GYN, 2002: “Bio-identical estrogen does not increase either recurrence of breast cancer or mortality rates.”

Roger Smith and John Studd, British Journal of Hospital Medicine,1993: “Hormone pellet therapy does not increase the risk of breast cancer incidence.”

Davelarr Study, 1991: “No increase in the incidence of breast cancer during the use of subcutaneous estradiol in women from 1972-mid-1990s… less cancers overall than the control group on no estrogen therapy.”

Benefits of BHRT in menopause and perimenopause

HRT and BHRT are not the same thing

Viva Fifty.- What is the key to effective hormone therapy?
Dr. Tutera.- Sex hormones play a much larger role in our health beyond a reproductive purpose. They are the “control panel” of the human body and impact all organs, tissues and neurotransmitters. In fact, they affect every aspect of our physical and mental well-being and can also help prevent illness, disease and premature aging.

The key to effective hormone therapy lies in the delivery method. Pills, patches, creams, gels, troches and other methods often result in roller coaster surges of hormones. Studies demonstrate that hormone pellets, which are about the size of a grain of rice and slipped under the skin, provide the most effective delivery system because they are monitored naturally by the body’s own heart rate for 24-7 distribution exactly when the body needs it most.

Most synthetic hormones and even some bio-identical hormone pellets offer one-size-fits-all generic doses that are not designed to meet each woman’s unique hormone needs. Every woman doesn’t wear the same size shoe; so why would they all choose the same hormone dose? SottoPelle® Therapy is the only method that uses a proprietary web-based BioCalc® system with precision dosing for each patient’s specific requirements and carefully monitored to manage her hormone balance properly.

Hormone therapy is not just about menopause or for women only! Men lose most of their testosterone by age 50 and need hormonal balance when andropause sets in. Like women, they should have their levels checked before symptoms arrive to protect their health.

Women should not wait until symptoms strike before checking their hormone levels. As we age, our hormone levels decline. Recent studies show that women are experiencing peri-menopause and menopause at much earlier ages than expected. #HRT #BHRT #perimenopause #menopause

 

Source: https://www.vivafifty.com/bhrt-benefits-perimenopause-menopause-2874/

HORMONOFOBIA Y DESINFORMACIÓN

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Los resultados derivados del estudio WHI (Woman Health Initiative), llevado a cabo en EE.UU. y publicados en 2002, desataron una verdadera tormenta sobre el colectivo de mujeres en edad de menopausia en todo el mundo. Numerosas revisiones y estudios posteriores revelaron el sesgo e inexactitud de dichos resultados. No obstante, estas rectificaciones o acotaciones realizadas sobre el propio estudio, así como la revisión sistemática de todos los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y estudios epidemiológicos relacionados con la TH y publicados en los últimos tres años, nunca han recibido la atención de los grandes medios de comunicación.
En consecuencia, en la mente del gran público, persisten las asociaciones equívocas y catastrofistas que acapararon grandilocuentes titulares. Y eso, a pesar del esfuerzo llevado a cabo durante más de quince años por parte de los principales organismos de salud relacionados con la Ginecología. Un ejemplo de ello lo tenemos en los repetidos manifiestos que se han hecho desde la Sociedad Internacional para la Menopausia (IMS) de la mano de la Sociedad Norte Americana de Menopausia (NAMS), primero en 2008 y con mayor amplitud en 2013. Seguidos, evidentemente, por los organismos nacionales, quienes como puede leerse a continuación, se adhirieron completamente mediante el siguiente manifiesto:
“La Asociación Española para el Estudio de la Menopausia (AEEM) y la Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia (SEGO) han alcanzado un Consenso sobre el uso de la Terapia Hormonal (TH) de la Menopausia en la actualidad, que establece que este tratamiento es el más eficaz para los síntomas de la menopausia. Un grupo de expertos de ambas instituciones han llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática de todos los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y estudios epidemiológicos relacionados con la TH y publicados en los últimos tres años. De este análisis se ha extraído que, aunque existan terapias alternativas, la terapia hormonal es la más eficaz y eficiente.”
NP Consenso AEEM y SEGO. Madrid, 26 de abril de 2018.
Los resultados de esos repetidos mensajes en favor de un uso científico y racional de la Terapia Hormonal, ha tenido diferentes resultados en Europa. Así, aunque el rechazo a estos tratamientos se produjo a nivel global, el Dr. Sánchez Borrego, presidente de la Fundación Española para el Estudio de la Menopausia (FEEM), asegura que en otros países se usa mucho más que en España. Mientras que en nuestro país no llega al 1% de las mujeres con síntomas de menopausia, en Alemania o los países nórdicos, la reciben hasta el 13 %, en Francia el porcentaje es algo inferior (12%) y en Portugal o Italia está en torno al 7-8 por ciento.
En España subsiste pues, en la actualidad, un problema de desinformación muy generalizado explica la doctora María Jesús Cancelo, secretaria de la SEGO: “Las falsas creencias y los tabúes entre las mujeres han llevado a una hormonofobia en nuestro país. Incluso entre los propios especialistas, que en los últimos años han ido abandonando la información y el asesoramiento sobre la TH, ante la negativa de sus pacientes a utilizarlo”.
Volviendo al estudio WHI, es importante destacar que en él se utilizó una combinación de estrógenos conjugados equinos más acetato de medroxiprogesterona, la combinación hormonal más usada en Estados Unidos por aquella época. Esas hormonas no eran hormonas humanas, fueron estrógenos de yegua embarazada y acetato de medroxiprogesterona. Ninguna de ellas tienen la misma composición molecular que el estradiol y la progesterona humana.
Estudios posteriores determinaron que el incremento del cáncer de mama se produjo por el acetato de medroxiprogesterona y que el incremento de los eventos cardiovasculares se debió a una selección errónea de las participantes del estudio. Mujeres de una edad media de 63 años (llevaban unos 10 años en menopausia) que no habían sido tratadas previamente con THS y a las que no se les evaluó su estado de salud cardiovascular previo. El incremento de dichas patologías no se ha experimentado cuando el tratamiento se realiza con las hormonas naturales de la mujer.
En este sentido, en EE.UU. se empezó a desarrollar hace ya muchos años un tipo de terapia hormonal, en cuál las moléculas que se utilizan son idénticas a las que produce el ser humano. De esta manera el organismo las reconoce como propias. A esa terapia se la reconoce como Terapia Hormonal Bioidéntica (BHRT).
El incremento de la esperanza de vida en países desarrollados durante el último siglo ha crecido en casi treinta años. Hoy podría decirse que la mujer vive más años sin la regla que con ella. El declive hormonal que comporta la menopausia se asocia a una serie de síntomas como la falta de vitalidad y energía, aumento del tejido graso subcutáneo y visceral, disminución de la masa muscular, disminución de las capacidades físicas y cognitivas, disminución de la función sexual y la libido, sequedad vaginal, piel y cabello finos y frágiles, cambios de humor, incluso depresión, dificultad para conciliar el sueño, sueño no reparador…
Va siendo hora de revisar falsos mitos y desterrar la hormonofobia.
¡Consulte con su médico!
Consultar con un experto en la Terapia SottoPelle® puede ayudarle a crear un futuro más saludable para usted. Descubra lo que nuestro método extraordinariamente simple y sin complicaciones puede hacer por Vd.

SottoPelle – What to Expect at the Appointment

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I recently wrote a blog (linked HERE) about my menopause journey, which thanks to SottoPelle® was a short story!

There was a tremendous response from women suffering the effects of menopause, many of whom have not found a solution or are suffering with ineffective solutions. Thank you to all the ladies who contacted me with questions and to share their stories.

Today, I invite you to come along and experience one of my appointments with SottoPelle®. A commitment I have been making every four months for six years without hesitation, because, it enables me to live my best life, no hormone surges, none of the symptoms of menopause, no side effects, just a normal well-balanced human being. Well, hormonally well balanced that is, ha ha!

Reception area of the Paradise Valley AZ office

Reception area of the Paradise Valley AZ office

After checking in for the appointment, the nurse ensures nothing has changed since the last visit, no surgeries, no new medications that type of thing, and once you’ve signed off on the paperwork, you’re ready to receive your pellets.

A quick update with the nurse to ensure the records are up to date.

 

A quick update with the nurse to ensure the records are up to date.

Just to re-cap, SottoPelle® is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that uses naturally sourced plant-based, bio-identical hormones in the form of tiny pellets. These are inserted a short way under the surface of the skin in the fleshy part of the butt cheek. Dr Tutera MD, FACOG, founded SottoPelle® in 1992, he was one of the pioneers of this form of HRT which provides the most effective and consistent distribution of hormones throughout the body.

I’ve been seeing Dr Steve for six years but still manage to talk his ear off!

The doctor or physician’s assistant who administers the pellets, checks my file, ensures there have been no changes since the last visit and determines which butt cheek my pellets will be placed on this occasion.  Each visit the pellets are placed in the alternate cheek.

This is what my midlife dynamo looks like!

These tiny compounded pellets are the magic formula to feeling as young as I did in my prime with energy, strength and a sense of complete well-being. Remember, this is a very individual approach to HRT, so my prescription is different to other women based on various factors. Every six months, blood work is taken providing extensive hormone panels to ensure each patient is prescribed the correct dosage, which could mean less or more testosterone, estrogen or whatever your individual requirements are, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

All the procedure requires is to lay on my side with relevant butt cheek up, and a local anesthetic is injected to the site where the pellets will be administered. Once numb, a tiny incision is made, and the prescribed pellets are inserted subcutaneously. Waterproof foam tape is placed over the incision which remains in place for three days and that is it.  The procedure takes about two minutes! I’m in and out of the appointment in about 15 minutes total, if I can keep the chit-chatting to a minimum!

Pellets inserted, off to the mall! Scottsdale Fashion Square is dangerously close to my SottoPelle® office.

This is an example of what I wear to my appointment, something comfortable and lose fitting. There’s no need to undress for the occasion, an adjustment of clothing enough to expose the insertion site is all that’s required. It takes a while for the anesthetic to wear off, but the prospect of squishing into tight jeans doesn’t appeal right after the procedure!

The Only Restrictions

For three days after the insertion, you should not take tub baths, soaking in hot tubs or swimming and no exercise other than walking, which translated means shopping! You can shower! Exertive exercise that uses the muscles in the hips or glutes could possibly push the pellets from their new home, so it’s strongly advised against.

Always on the go thanks to SottoPelle®

Always on the go thanks to SottoPelle®

After three days you can remove the waterproof tape and exercise resumes as normal. A month later you cannot see where the incision was made.

The worst I feel is tenderness around the incision once the anesthetic wears off. As a side sleeper, I sleep on the opposite side to the pellet incision for a couple of nights as it feels slightly sore, and sometimes there’s some light bruising around the area. Three days later though, I’m back out on the tennis court or hiking a trail.

The level of activity you engage in will determine how often you need to replace your pellets, the body draws upon them as they’re needed so the more activity you do or stress you deal with, the faster you are likely to power through your hormones.

Over the years I have referred four of my girlfriends to SottoPelle® who were suffering a myriad of symptoms related to menopause.  They are all still enjoying the benefits of SottoPelle® therapy to this day just as I do.  And, it’s not just for women to enjoy feeling youthful and vibrant again after midlife, men can also benefit from SottoPelle®.

 

Meet CarolAnn Tutera, CEO and patient of SottoPelle®. CarolAnn’s mission is to carry on the late Dr. Gino Tutera’s passion to improve our quality of life so it can be enjoyed to the full as we age.  She has an active role in the company and continues to broaden the coverage with service providers now in multiple locations all over the US.

For me, SottoPelle® doesn’t just eliminate the symptoms of menopause by restoring hormones to normal, but also aids in the ability to live a healthy lifestyle. Because I have more energy I can maintain an active life, which facilitates a healthy weight and sense of well-being. Other symptoms of menopause can cause over-eating or choosing the wrong foods to comfort oneself in times of anxiety or emotional highs and lows. When hormones are balanced, and normal sleep patterns resume, it’s easier to take control of thoughts, maintain focus, and therefore make the right food choices. All in all, it provides a quality of life that also benefits my health as I age.
If you are suffering any of the symptoms of menopause and would like to find out if SottoPelle® therapy is right for you, you can visit their website here: sottopelletherapy.com and click on the “Find a Doctor” button to locate a service provider near you.

As always, thank you for stopping by

Karen xox

This is a sponsored post which I was delighted to write to share my experience of SottoPelle® which has been a faithful partner in restoring my life to normal.

SottoPelle® – The Midlife Game Changer

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Menopause hit me like a freight train at 50 years old!

It was as though my body had taken on a whole new set of rules that I wasn’t privy to, except to see and feel the miserable effects that resulted. I wanted me back, the version that ran smoothly like a well-oiled engine, not this one that kept back-firing and faltering daily.

Now at 57 years old, I'm blessed that my fifties were not robbed from me by the onslaught of menopause!

Now at 57 years old, I’m blessed that my fifties were not robbed from me by the onslaught of menopause!

Having always led an active life, it came as a shock when suddenly it took me two days to recover from a tennis match. Feeling sore, achy and stiff during and after exertive activity slowed me down, I had less energy and it became increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy weight. I wasn’t doing anything different, but my equilibrium was going haywire.

As for my nightly eight or nine hours sleep that I’d enjoyed my whole life… menopause had other plans for me and decided two hours would be sufficient after which I would toss and turn until daybreak. Lack of sleep was a sure-fire way to guarantee a short fuse in this gal, additionally I began to struggle with concentration, focus, and when the uncontrollable hot flashes began however momentary they were, I realized enough was enough. I was in no mood for this menopause malarkey!

I believe I have SottoPelle® to thank for helping improve my game in my fifties!

As a lifelong proponent of fix the cause rather than mask it, I’m one of those annoying ‘holier than thou’ types when it comes to taking pills and medicine! So, I was apprehensive about hormone replacement therapy and naturally skeptical about claims many companies made for this pill or that cream to help with menopause. Besides, I didn’t want help with menopause, I wanted it annihilated!

I discovered a local company called SottoPelle® where women were filling the waiting rooms to see Dr Tutera MD, FACOG, the founder. As a pioneer in the use of all-natural plant-based bio-identical hormones, Dr Tutera developed his unique method of delivery, placing the pellets subcutaneously therefore providing the most effective and consistent distribution of hormones throughout the body.

The best thing to happen to my midlife… SottoPelle®!

Our body draws upon hormones as and when they are needed such as during sport or moments of anxiety for example. Therefore, digesting pills or rubbing on creams is not the most effective delivery method as it creates surges in the distribution. Having pellets placed just below the skins surface maintains a consistent level in the body and provides for moments when you may need more.

An important quality that sets SottoPelle® above the rest, is that it’s not a one size fits all solution. Everyone has different hormone levels and requirements. To ensure the optimum balance and correct levels are maintained, SottoPelle® regularly performs blood work for extensive hormone panels on each individual.

So, I bit the bullet, since I didn’t have to swallow a pill, and had the pellets submerged in my butt-cheek by way of a tiny incision, which is fully healed in three days and almost invisible in three weeks.

I don’t feel any different to how I felt in my twenties and thirties, and I’m still enjoying the same antics!

Perhaps because I’m very active, circulation of the hormones took effect quickly. In less than a week my hot flushes had subsided altogether, my sleep pattern was returning to normal and an overall sense of wellbeing replaced the chaos and emotional ups and downs that had previously taken hold.

The most noticeable difference was my energy level and strength capability. I could handle the toughest tennis match and be out on a run the next day. With more energy, I decided to take on more exercise and began lifting small weights, something I’d never done before. The results were very encouraging as I developed muscles that I didn’t know I’d ever owned!

During menopause, if I got through a day without one or other of its symptoms, I thought I was having a good day, so after a while I forgot how normal used to feel. This included feeling sexy or wanting to have sex. I never really considered this a symptom of menopause, it had simply waned into a rarity, besides I was rather pre-occupied fanning myself down and trying not to bite someone’s head off to give it much consideration. After beginning SottoPelle® therapy that completely changed, and a normal sexual desire returned and has remained consistent to this day.

I’ll have that smile off his face on the tennis court later ha ha!

It’s been six years that I’ve been using SottoPelle® therapy. I go every four months to have my pellets inserted which is the time interval that keeps my hormone balance stable. It has absolutely extended the best years of my life such that I can enjoy it in every aspect of fulfillment. I whole heartedly believe that it restored a quality of life that menopause was desperately trying to steal from me. It is not the fountain of youth, and as such the body still ages as the years roll on, but the way you feel doesn’t have to.

You can read more about SottoPelle® on their website: sottopelletherapy.com and click on the “Find a Doctor” button to locate a service provider near you. Please feel free to ask me any questions concerning this post or my experience by way of the Contact page and I will respond to you directly via email.

As always, thank you for stopping by

Karen xx

This is a sponsored post which I was delighted to write on account of my experience over the past six years. It is my pleasure to share this company that has been a faithful partner in restoring my life to normal.

Menopause, Hormones and Heart Health

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Recent studies show that women are experiencing menopause at much earlier ages than expected. By age 40, most women are totally depleted of normal levels of estrogen and have lost nearly all their progesterone and more than half of their testosterone. The average woman can expect her periods to stop when she is just 46.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading killer of women. Research indicates a correlation between declining estrogen levels during menopause and an increase in the risk for cardiovascular problems. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to develop heart disease.

Estrogen is shown to support the blood vessels. Results from a 1991 study indicated that after 15 years of estrogen replacement, risk of death by cardiovascular disease was reduced by almost 50 percent and overall deaths were reduced by 40 percent.

At the same time, testosterone supports the cardiovascular system in women as well as men.

While hormone therapy can help protect the heart health of menopausal and aging women, the key to effective treatment lies in the type of hormone and administration method.

Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses natural, plant-derived compounds that precisely match the same molecular structure as human hormones – unlike traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which is synthetic, or pharmaceutical. Bioidentical hormones are better assimilated by the body without the dangerous side effects associated with synthetic type – including heart disease.

Research demonstrates that hormone pellets – about the size of a grain of rice and slipped under the skin – provide the most effective hormone delivery method since the hormone release is monitored naturally by the heart rate. When prescribed and properly administered, BHRT pellets can support heart health and offer relief for menopausal symptoms.

Numerous studies* cite the potential benefits of bioidentical estrogen and testosterone pellets to:

• reduce harmful LDL and total cholesterol
• increase protective HDL
• decrease triglycerides
• assist in retaining the ability of the coronary arteries to dilate and remain pliable

Evidence from a 2013 study by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the “timing hypothesis,” which shows that women in the early stages of menopause are more likely to experience additional cardiovascular benefits from HRT treatment than women who have been menopausal for 10 or more years.

Another study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that 32 percent of heart attacks and cardiac deaths were reduced in women age 60 or younger who had received bio-identical hormone treatment.

We recommend that women start checking their hormone levels with a simple blood test around ages 35-40 to correct hormonal imbalances. This can help to protect their hearts and avoid many unpleasant health problems that occur during menopause, such as thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, depression, breast cancer, brain fog and fibromyalgia. Bioidentical hormones, taken in early menopause, may actually help prevent coronary heart disease and many of these issues.

*Menopause, Susan Davis, 2000; Obstetrics & Gynecology, Notelovitz, 1987