It is natural for women to question whether they really need bio-identical hormone therapy (BHRT), especially if they are not having any of the typical menopausal symptoms of hot flashes, low libido, vaginal dryness and wrinkles. I tell patients that prior studies have shown that they protect against Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease, and slow the aging process. However, hormones will not necessarily make you live longer.
Well, now we have new evidence that BHRT does extend one’s life. This past April, a study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in which they analyzed 19 trials of women less than 60 years old on hormone therapy. What they found was that those women on hormone therapy had a decreased mortality of 28% compared to women who did not take hormones.
What is interesting about this study is that they examined women who were taking hormones processed from horse urine and synthetic progestin. It seems rational that if these same women had been on the exact hormones that their body normally produces -bio-identical hormones- they would have lived even longer. And it goes without saying that men on bio-identical hormones will reap the same benefits.
Terry Pfau, DO, HMD