Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopause is medical treatment in surgically menopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Its goal is to mitigate discomfort caused by diminished circulating estrogen and progesterone hormones in menopause. Combination HRT is often recommended as it decreases the amount of endometrial hyperplasia and cancer associated with unopposed estrogen therapy.[1][2] The main hormones involved are estrogen, progesterone and progestin. Some recent therapies include the use of androgens as well.[3]

The 2002 Women's Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health found disparate results for all cause mortality with hormone replacement, finding it to be lower when HRT was begun earlier, between age 50-59, but higher when begun after age 60. In older patients, there was an increased incidence of breast cancer, heart attacks and stroke, although a reduced incidence of colorectal cancer and bone fracture.[4] Some of the WHI findings were again found in a larger national study done in the UK, known as The Million Women Study. As a result of these findings, the number of women taking hormone treatment dropped precipitously.[5] The Women's Health Initiative recommended that women with non-surgical menopause take the lowest feasible dose of HRT for the shortest possible time to minimize associated risks.[4]

The current indications for use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include short-term treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as vasomotor hot flashes or urogenital atrophy, and prevention of osteoporosis.[6] In 2012, the United States Preventive Task Force concluded that the harmful effects of combined estrogen and progestin are likely to exceed the chronic disease prevention benefits in most women.[7][8] A consensus expert opinion published by the The Endocrine Society stated that when taken during perimenopause, or the initial years of menopause, hormonal therapy carries significantly fewer risks than previously published, and reduces all cause mortality in most patient scenarios.[9] The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology also released a position statement in 2009 that approved of HRT in appropriate clinical scenarios.

There have been a number of large scale cross sectional and cohort studies on the effects of hormone replacement in menopause, the largest being in the United States, the United Kingdom and China. Demographically, the vast majority of data available is in post-menopausal American women with concurrent pre-existing conditions, and with a mean age of over 60 years.[10]

In 2002 the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) was published. That study looked at the effects of hormonal replacement therapy in post-menopausal women. Both age groups had a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer, and both heart attack and stroke were increased in older patients, although not in younger participants. Progesterone is the major anabolic hormone for breast tissue, and accordingly breast cancer was not increased in patients who were on estrogen therapy alone after hysterectomy. Treatment with unopposed estrogen (the supplementation of endogenous estrogens without a progestogen) is contraindicated if the uterus is still present, due its proliferative effect on the endometrium. The WHI also found a reduced incidence of colorectal cancer when estrogen and progesterone were used together, and most importantly, a reduced incidence of bone fractures. Ultimately, the study found disparate results for all cause mortality with hormone replacement, finding it to be lower when HRT was begun during ages 5059, but higher when begun after age 60.[4] Some findings of the WHI were reconfirmed in a larger national study done in the UK, known as The Million Women Study. Coverage of the WHI findings led to a reduction in the number of post-menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy.[11] The authors of the study recommended that women with non-surgical menopause take the lowest feasible dose of HRT, and for the shortest possible time, to minimize risk.[4]

These recommendations have not held up with further data analysis, however. Subsequent findings released by the WHI showed that all cause mortality was not dramatically different between the groups receiving conjugated equine estrogen (CEE), those receiving estrogen and progesterone, and those not on HRT at all. Specifically, the relative risk for all-cause mortality was 1.04 (confidence interval 0.881.22) in the CEE-alone trial and 1.00 (CI, 0.831.19) in the estrogen plus progesterone trial.[12] Further, in analysis pooling data from both trials, post menopausal HRT was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (RR, 0.70; CI, 0.510.96) among women ages 50 to 59. This would represent five fewer deaths per 1000 women per 5 years of therapy.

A robust Bayesian meta-analysis from 19 randomized clinical trials reported similar data with a RR of mortality of 0.73 (CI, 0.520.96) in women younger than age 60.[13] However, MHT had minimal effect among those between 60 and 69 years of age (RR, 1.05; CI, 0.871.26) and was associated with a borderline significant increase in mortality in those between 70 to 79 years of age (RR, 1.14; CI, 0.94 1.37; P for trend < 0.06).[14] Similarly, in the HERS trial, with participants having a mean age of 66.7 yr, MHT did not reduce in total mortality (RR, 1.08; CI, 0.84 1.38).[15] A 2003 meta-analysis of 30 randomized trials of menopausal HRT in relation to mortality showed that it was associated with a nearly 40% reduction in mortality in trials in which participants had a mean age of less than 60 yr or were within 10 yr of menopause onset but was unrelated to mortality in the other trials.[16] The findings in the younger age groups were similar to those in the observational Nurses' Health Study (RR for mortality, 0.63; CI, 0.56 0.70).[9][17]

The beneficial potential of HRT was bolstered in a consensus expert opinion published by the The Endocrine Society, which stated that when taken during perimenopause, or the initial years of menopause, hormonal therapy carries significantly fewer risks than previously published, and reduces all cause mortality in most patient scenarios.[9] The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology released a position statement in 2009 that approved of HRT in the appropriate clinical scenario.

Proprietary mixtures of progestins and conjugated equine estrogens are a commonly prescribed form of HRT. As the most common and longest-prescribed type of estrogen used in HRT, most studies of HRT involve CEE. More recently developed forms of drug delivery include suppositories, subdermal implants, skin patches and gels. They have more local effect, lower doses, fewer side effects and constant rather than cyclical serum hormone levels.[18]

The data published by the WHI suggested supplemental estrogen increased risk of venous emboli and breast cancer but was protective against osteoporosis and colorectal cancer, while the impact on cardiovascular disease was mixed.[19] These results were later confirmed in trials from the United Kingdom, but not in more recent studies from France and China. Genetic polymorphism appears to be associated with inter-individual variability in metabolic response to HRT in postmenopausal women.[20][21]

Originally posted here:
Hormone replacement therapy (menopause) - Wikipedia, the ...

Genemedics Health Institute is the national leader in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for men (BHRT for men) and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women (BHRT for women). Led by nationally renowned Dr. George Shanlikian, M.D., Genemedics Health Institutes physician experts specialize in natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), personalized nutrition programs, nutritional supplements, and fitness for both men and women.

Genemedics bioidentical hormone programs are customized for each individual to alleviate symptoms associated with:

Bioidentical hormones that may need to be balanced include:

All of our physicians are board-certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Our expert physicians have passed written and oral exams and are among the most knowledgeable physicians in the field of anti-aging and natural hormone replacement therapy. Our natural hormone replacement therapy doctors have also completed advanced fellowships in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, completing hundreds of hours of additional training in anti-aging medicine and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Genemedics' physician-supervised health program consists of natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, along with a nutrition plan, nutritional supplement regimen, and exercise program customized to help you reach your health and fitness goals.We have seen astonishing results in the lives of our patients, who are healthier, happier, and have dramatically improved quality of life. We incorporate functional testing such as body fat assessment, fitness testing, and stretch testing to gauge patient progress. We pay close attention to detail and routinely follow up with complete lab panels to make sure you have obtained and maintain hormone balance, along with optimal health and wellness. Our comprehensive natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy programs, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, will return you to the optimal physical, sexual, and emotional health you experienced in your twenties and thirties. Contact us today and get started on the path to a younger, healthier you!

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Hormone Replacement Therapy Doctor | Genemedics

Hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as HRT, is used to relieve menopause symptoms, especially hot flashes and osteoporosis. A woman on hormone therapy usually takes both estrogen and progestin. Women who have had a hysterectomy can take estrogen alone. Estrogen relieves hot flashes and prevents osteoporosis. However, estrogen alone can increase your risk of developing uterine cancer.

Many studies have looked at the association between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. The best evidence for the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy come from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a large study involving more than 16,000 healthy women. The results published in July 2002 showed the risks of combined HRT with estrogen plus progestin outweigh the benefits. These risks included an increase in breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots.

Under the Affordable Care Act, many health insurance plans will provide free womens preventive services, including mammograms, birth control and well-woman visits. Learn more.

Health Insurance Center

Not only does combined HRT increase the risk of developing breast cancer, but it also increases the chances that the cancer will be discovered at a more advanced stage. This is due to its influence in reducing the effectiveness of mammography by creating denser breast tissue.

If you no longer have a uterus, estrogen alone can be given for symptoms of menopause. This probably does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer much, if at all. In March 2004, it was concluded from the WHI study that those taking estrogen only had no increased risk of breastcancer or heart disease; however, estrogen does appear to increase one's risk of stroke.

If you are considering HRT to relieve your menopausal symptoms, talk to your doctor to discuss the risks and benefits. Together you can decide what is right for you.

Hormone replacement therapy is an effective treatment for relieving hot flashes from menopause. But the known link between hormone therapy and increased breast cancer risk has discouraged many women and their doctors from choosing or recommending this treatment.

The type of hormone therapy (estrogen only or combination of estrogen and progestin), as well as the woman's individual characteristics, risk factors, and severity of menopause symptoms, should be considered when weighing the risks and benefits of HRT. The decision to use hormone therapy after menopause should be made by a woman and her health care provider after weighing all of the potential risks (including heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots) and benefits (relief of menopause symptoms and prevention of osteoporosis).

See the article here:
Hormone Replacement Therapy Breast Cancer - WebMD

For decades, women have used hormone therapy to ease symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and sweating. This is called menopausal hormone therapy, and you may see it abbreviated as HT or MHT. You may also hear it described as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT), or postmenopausal hormones (PMH).

In the past, many doctors and their patients believed that MHT didnt just help with hot flashes and other symptoms it had important health benefits. But well-conducted studies have led many doctors to conclude that the risks of MHT often outweigh the benefits.

This document discusses only how MHT can affect a womans risk of getting certain cancers. It does not discuss other possible risks of MHT such as heart disease or stroke.

You can use this information when you talk to your doctor about whether MHT is right for you.

Menopause is the time in a womans life when the ovaries stop working and she stops having menstrual periods for good. Menopause is sometimes called the change of life, or the change.

The ovaries stop releasing eggs and making the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. In the months or years leading up to natural menopause, menstrual periods may become less frequent and irregular, and hormone levels may go up and down. This time is called perimenopause or the menopausal transition. Since periods can become less frequent during this time, it can be hard to know when they have actually stopped (and you have gone through menopause) until you look back at a later time.

Women who have their ovaries removed by surgery (oophorectomy) or whose ovaries stop working for other reasons go through menopause, too, but much more suddenly (without the menopausal transition).

Women who have had their uterus removed (hysterectomy) but still have their ovaries stop having periods, but they dont really go through menopause until their ovaries stop working. This is often determined based on symptoms, but your doctor can tell for certain by testing your blood for levels of certain hormones. Hormones made by the pituitary gland called luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) help regulate the ovaries before menopause. When levels of estrogen get lower during menopause, the levels of FSH and LH go up. High levels of FSH and LH, along with low levels of estrogen, can be used to diagnose menopause. Blood tests for these may be helpful in a woman who has had her uterus removed.

Some drugs can turn off the ovaries and cause menstrual periods to stop for a time. Although this is not the same as menopause, it can lead to many of the same symptoms.

Most of the symptoms of menopause are linked to lower estrogen levels. Some symptoms hot flashes and night sweats, for instance tend to fade away at some point, whether or not they are treated. Other problems that start after menopause, like dryness and thinning of vaginal tissues and bone thinning, tend to get worse over time.

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Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer Risk

If youre looking for relief from menopause symptoms, knowing the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help you decide whether its right for you.

HRT (also known as hormone therapy, menopausal hormone therapy, and estrogen replacement therapy) uses female hormones -- estrogen and progesterone -- to treat common symptoms of menopause and aging. Doctors can prescribe it during or after menopause.

After your period stops, your hormone levels fall, causing uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness, and sometimes conditions like osteoporosis. HRT replaces hormones your body no longer makes. Its the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms.

You might think of pregnancy when you think of estrogen. In women of child-bearing age, it gets the uterus ready to receive a fertilized egg. It has other roles, too -- it controls how your body uses calcium, which strengthens bones, and raises good cholesterol in the blood.

If you still have your uterus, taking estrogen without progesterone, another pregnancy-related hormone, raises your risk for cancer of the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. Since the cells from the endometrium arent leaving your body during your period any more, they may build up in your uterus and lead to cancer. Progesterone lowers that risk by thinning the lining.

Once you know the hormones that make up HRT, think about which type of HRT you should get:

Estrogen Therapy: Doctors generally suggest a low dose of estrogen for women who have had a hysterectomy, the surgery to remove the uterus. Estrogen comes in different forms. The daily pill and patch are the most popular, but the hormone also is available in a vaginal ring, gel, or spray.

Estrogen/Progesterone/Progestin Hormone Therapy: This is often called combination therapy, since it combines doses of estrogen and progestin, the synthetic form of progesterone. Its meant for women who still have their uterus.

The biggest debate about HRT is whether its risks outweigh its benefits.

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Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy - WebMD

To Optimize Your Hormones, You Should Consult with the Most Highly Trained physicians

All medicine requires extensive training, balancing hormones especially, and this isnt something traditionally taught in medical school. The physicians of BodyLogicMD are all required to undergo extensive training as well as complete the Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine focused solely on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. There is no other team that all meets the standard of BodyLogicMD physicians Join over 16,000 patients who are experiencing the difference that BHRT can make.

Almost all of us over the age of 40 (and in many cases over 30) begin to experience hormone imbalance. Over our lifetime, we are exposed to environmental and dietary toxins, which contribute to the natural decline of hormones as we age. In order to balance your hormones for optimal health and wellness, it is critical to be evaluated by a highly trained physician - including comprehensive lab testing and in depth initial questionnaires - prior to creating a personalized treatment plan.

Many factors can contribute to conditions and diseases that can occur at any stage in life, resulting from an imbalance of hormones:

As a result of hormone imbalance related to these conditions, you may be experiencing one or a combination of what have become known as the classic symptoms of aging:

If symptoms like these have begun to affect your quality of life, you could be a candidate forbioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

There is a reason the physicians in the BodyLogicMD franchise are the most sought-after in the industry. Our network of experienced physicians is routinely inundated with the latest technology, cutting-edge research and superior education available. Every bioidentical hormone doctor that joins the BodyLogicMD network completes over 200 hours of advanced training with the American Academy of Anti- Aging and Regenerative Medicine to join and maintain their status within the network. When you become a patient, you receive the dedicated attention of your doctor. Your appointments, consultations and questions about your bioidentical hormone replacement therapy are never passed off to a nurse or practitioner you receive all the attention and information firsthand from your knowledgeable physician for as long as you are a patient.

The good news, for both men and women, is that hormone loss and imbalance is easily correctible. Through state-of-the-art diagnostichormone testing, using saliva, urine and/or blood analysis, we can determine your hormone levels and your unique bioidentical hormone needs.

Initial consultations with a physician near you range from $395-$595. Get started today by clicking the Contact a Physician button below.

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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy & Bioidentical ...

Legions of women across America are going about their daily lives feeling out of sorts. "You feel flat and you feel tired, you haven't had a good night's sleep in two years [and you're] just going through the motions, trying to get through the day," Oprah says. "You feel like your life force is being sucked out of you."

The February issue of O, The Oprah Magazine delves into the root of this problem and possible fixes, and Oprah is taking the discussion even farther. "We're opening a national conversation about hormone replacement therapy," she says. "This is about your hormones being out of whack, and you don't even knowwe haven't had a language to talk about it yet." Hormone replacement therapy is relevant to women of all ages, Oprah says. "If you're a woman who's planning to live past the age of 35, at some point you're going to face hormone imbalance," she says. "All women need to be armed with this information."

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Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right for You? - Oprah.com

Since 2003 we have been providing men and women with the best in evidence-based hormone replacement therapy, anti-aging, and integrative wellness programs. With headquarters in South Florida, and facilities nationwide, AAG HealthGAINS has established a reputation as pioneers and innovators in hormone optimization programs, testosterone therapy, and the safe and effective use of human growth hormone.

Our Chief Medical Officer is renowned physician Dr. Richard Gaines. Dr. Gaines is Harvard trained and is a pioneer in the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy.

His understating of hormone balance and optimal aging is unparalleled in the industry, in fact Dr. Richard Gaines wrote the book,Dr. Gaines Guide to Renewed Vitality ". In it he describes lifestyle changes to help you be your best at any age, and the benefits of hormone therapy, and breakthrough new procedures such as Platelet Rich Plasma Therapies.

We offer a variety of optimal aging and integrative wellness programs, all tailored to your individual needs, and all overseen by Dr. Gaines himself.

AAG HealthGAINS has always been a pioneer in evidence-based, scientifically proven age management techniques and programs. We are often the very first in your area to offer cutting-age anti-aging treatments, while other facilities struggle to play catch-up. We are dedicated to helping you achieve your peak performance at any age, and to adding more years to your life, and more life to your years!

Contact us today (800) 325-1325 and speak with one of our wellness advisors, and be sure to ask about the SPECIAL OFFERS and current PROMOTIONS in your areas of interest.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy | Growth Hormone, Testosterone

Is hormone therapy (HRT) making a comeback?

A few years ago, the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) looked like a medical mess. For decades, women were told that HRT -- usually a combination of estrogen and progestin -- was good for them during and after menopause. Then the 2002 results of the Women's Health Initiative study seemed to show just the opposite: hormone replacement therapy actually had life-threatening risks such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.

"Women felt betrayed," says Isaac Schiff, MD, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "They were calling their doctors, saying, 'How could you put me on this drug which causes heart attacks, strokes, and cancer?'"

Understanding Menopause -- Symptoms

Not all women experience symptoms prior to or following menopause, which is defined as the time when a woman has naturally ceased having menstrual periods for one year. If menopausal symptoms occur, they may include hot flashes, night sweats, pain during intercourse due to vaginal dryness, and increased anxiety or irritability.

Read the Understanding Menopause -- Symptoms article > >

Almost overnight, standard medical practice changed. Doctors stopped prescribing hormone replacement therapy and 65% of women on HRT quit, according to Schiff.

But some experts say hormone replacement therapy may be coming back. All along HRT remained an important treatment for menopause symptoms like hot flashes. And now, a number of recent studies show that hormone replacement therapy may have protective benefits for women who are early in menopause.

"I think we swung too positive on hormone therapy in the past and then we went too negative," says Schiff, who is also chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force on Hormone Therapy. "Now we're trying to find a balance in between."

"We're definitely in a gray zone of uncertainty about hormone therapy," says Jacques Rossouw, MD, project officer for the federal Women's Health Initiative (WHI). "But when you're uncertain, you have to err on the side of safety."

Continue reading here:
Hormone Replacement Therapy - WebMD

Around the time of the menopause, declining levels of oestrogen and progesterone can bring about many symptomatic changes for women:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be an effective treatment for the typical menopause-related symptoms. There are also other long-term health problems associated with the menopause: the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke all increase after the menopause. HRT may also have an influence on these health problems.

This article discusses HRT in detail. A separate article Menopause and its Management discusses menopausal symptoms, differential diagnosis and possible investigations (although the diagnosis is usually clinically based on the typical symptoms). It also discusses health problems associated with the menopause and gives an overview of management. See separate related articlesHRT- Topical.

Current evidence-based guidelines advise consideration of HRT for troublesome vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women without contra-indications and after individualised discussion of likely risks and benefits.

Starting HRT in women over the age of 60 years is generally not recommended.

For women with premature (age <40 years) or early (<45 years) menopause, current guidelines recommend HRT until the age of 51 years for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms and bone preservation.

Current indications for the use of HRT are:

For most symptomatic women, use of HRT for five years or less is safe and effective. Benefits of HRT include:

Reduction in vasomotor symptoms

Improvement in quality of life

Original post:
Hormone Replacement Therapy (Risks and Benefits). HRT ...

Hormone therapy: Is it right for you?

Hormone therapy was once routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health. Then large clinical trials showed health risks. What does this mean to you?

Hormone replacement therapy medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body no longer makes after menopause used to be a standard treatment for women with hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Hormone therapy (as it's now called) was also thought to have the long-term benefits of preventing heart disease and possibly dementia.

Use of hormone therapy changed abruptly when a large clinical trial found that the treatment actually posed more health risks than benefits for one type of hormone therapy, particularly when given to older postmenopausal women. As the concern about health hazards attributed to hormone therapy grew, doctors became less likely to prescribe it.

Hormone therapy is no longer recommended for disease prevention, such as heart disease or memory loss. However, further review of clinical trials and new evidence show that hormone therapy may be a good choice for certain women, depending on their risk factors.

The benefits of hormone therapy depend, in part, on whether you take systemic hormone therapy or low-dose vaginal preparations of estrogen.

Systemic hormone therapy. Systemic estrogen which comes in pill, skin patch, gel, cream or spray form remains the most effective treatment for relief of troublesome menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Estrogen can also ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still approves estrogen for the prevention of the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis, doctors usually recommend medications called bisphosphonates to treat osteoporosis.

Long-term systemic hormone therapy for the prevention of postmenopausal conditions is no longer routinely recommended. But some data suggest that estrogen can decrease the risk of heart disease when taken early in postmenopausal years.

A recent, randomized, controlled clinical trial the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) explored estrogen use and heart disease in younger postmenopausal women. The study found no significant association between hormone therapy and heart disease.

Continue reading here:
Hormone therapy: Is it right for you? - Mayo Clinic

Hormone replacement therapy of the male-to-female type is a type of hormone replacement therapy for transgender and transsexual people. It changes the balance of sex hormones in the body. Some intersex people also receive HRT, either starting in childhood to confirm the assigned sex, or later, if this assignment has proven to be incorrect.

Its purpose is to cause the development of the secondary sex characteristics of the desired sex. It cannot undo many of the changes produced by the first natural occurring puberty, which may necessitate surgery and/or epilation (see below).

The requirements for hormone replacement therapy vary immensely, often psychological counseling is required.

Under WPATH guidelines the Mental Health Provider requires individuals to satisfy two sets of criteria eligibility and readiness to undertake any stage of transition including hormone replacement therapy. Eligibility involves the patient meeting requirements from a major diagnostic tool, such as the ICD-10, DSM-IV-R or the DSM-V. ICD-10 requirements are for either Transsexualism or Gender identity disorder of childhood.[1]

The ICD-10 criteria for Transsexualism include the individual having a transsexual identity of over 2 years, a strong and persistent desire to live as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by the desire to make their body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex through surgery and hormone treatments. These individuals cannot be diagnosed with Transsexualism if it is believed to be a result of another mental disorder, or a genetic, intersex or chromosomal abnormality.

The ICD-10 criteria for Gender identity disorder of childhood in males include the individual being pre-pubescent and having intense and persistent distress about being a boy. The distress must be present for at least six months. The child must either:

The DSM-IV-R criteria for Gender Identity Disorder includes four main criteria. The DSM-IV-R also requests that the individual's sexuality is noted.

In children this may be demonstrated by them meeting four or more of the following criteria:

Adolescents and Adults must display a persistent desire to be the other sex, frequent passing as the other sex, desire to live or be treated as the other sex, or the conviction that they have the typical feelings and reactions of the other sex.

In boys this may manifest as an assertion that their penis or testes are disgusting or will disappear, or asserting that it is better not to have a penis.

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Hormone replacement therapy (male-to-female) - Wikipedia ...

By Dr. Mercola

The US Preventive Services Task Force recently published its draft recommendations on hormone replacement therapyi.

While the task force has previously sparked controversy with its recommendations for breast cancer and PSA prostate cancer screening, their recommendations for hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women taking hormones to prevent chronic disease has been met with little resistance.

The group is changing its recommendations for menopausal women who use hormone therapy, either estrogen alone, or in combination with progestin to prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline.

They are accepting public comments on the draft until June 26, at which point the group will decide whether to make the draft recommendations final. According to a recent report by CNNii:

"... The task force recommendations "are aimed at older women, who are generally healthy asking, 'If I take a pill a day, will I prevent a heart attack?" [Dr. Carolyn] Crandall [professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA] said.

... In the face of pretty good evidence, the balance of potential benefits and potential harms leads us not to recommend the use of these therapies," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a task force member.

The proposed recommendations do not apply to women younger than 50 who have undergone surgical menopause or who are taking hormone therapy to manage menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, according to the panel.

... "The balance of benefits or harms may be different with young women, so you can't say this absolutely applies to younger women making hormone therapy decisions," Crandall said."

The task force based their new recommendation on a recent review of the results from nine clinical trials published over the past decadeiii. The main question the group sought to answer was whether or not hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be used by otherwise healthy menopausal women "to prevent a hypothetical future health event such as heart disease or cognitive decline." Alas, according to the task force, "There is no evidence that the therapies would prevent those conditionsiv.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy Harmful - Mercola.com

-Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy and HCG Diet Success In Los Angeles
A patient #39;s Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy success in Los Angeles. Also HCG Diet success at Angel Longevity Medical Center.

By: Angel Longevity

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-Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy and HCG Diet Success In Los Angeles - Video

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is any form of hormone therapy wherein the patient, in the course of medical treatment, receives hormones, either to supplement a lack of naturally occurring hormones, or to substitute other hormones for naturally occurring hormones. Common forms of hormone replacement therapy include:

As recently as 2005 women have had a positive attitude towards hormone replacement therapy but based on the empirical data these attitudes may be overly optimistic.[3] There is still much to learn about how HRT affects people. In the combined hormone trial, the WHI tested only one estrogen (Premarin) and one progestin (Provera), in a single pill (Prempro), at a single dose (0.625mg Premarin and 2.5mg Provera). Therefore the results are not reliable nor representative.

To avoid HRT risks it is essential to use the most effective delivery method of both estrogen and progesterone. Bioidentical estradiol (estrogen) when taken orally is converted in the liver to estrone, a weaker bioidentical estrogen. However when estrogen as estradiol is used transdermally as a patch, gel, or pessary, it enters the bloodstream as bioidentical estradiol. When estrogen is ingested it is subjected to first pass metabolism (Phase I drug metabolism) and is processed through the liver. This first pass metabolism stimulates proteins associated with heart disease and stroke, such as C-reactive protein, activated protein C, and clotting factors. Using a patch, gel or pessary to take estrogen avoids first pass metabolism and the risks associated with it and the same level of blood concentration can be achieved avoiding the serious side effects associated with oral estradiol HRT. Current research shows that the transdermal route of estradiol administration can also be advantageous for women with diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors, as those risks increase with advancing age.[4] Women taking bioidentical estrogen, orally or transdermally, who have a uterus must still take an FDA-approved progestin or micronized progesterone to lower the risk of endometrial cancer. The natural, plant-derived progesterone creams sold over the counter contain too little progesterone to be effective. Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) extract creams are not effective since the natural progesterone present in the extract is not bioavailable.[5]

Past research has highlighted potential risks of HRT. The principal results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial was that hazard rate of invasive breast cancer exceeded the stopping boundary for this adverse effect and the global index statistic supported risks exceeding benefits.[6]

A study where women going through menopause using HRT with Progestin as a major component of the therapy showed a few negative effects on hearing, which highlights the importance of choosing bioidentical progesterone instead of synthetic progestin. Not only does the Progestin decrease the functionality of many regions of the ear it also reduces the effectiveness in parts of the central nervous system used for hearing.[7] Also in some situations it has been shown that menopausal women who are caregivers and receive HRT can have an increased chance for cardiovascular issues. As caregivers it is implied that they have more acute stress in their lives and that acute stress along with the HRT is priming negative cardiovascular effects.[8]

Recent research done by the Million Women Study, funded by Cancer Research UK has proven that certain forms of HRT increase the risk of endometrial (womb) cancer. However, previous research has shown that the combined type of HRT poses a greater breast cancer risk than tibolone or oestrogen (estradiol)-only HRT and, because breast cancer is more common than endometrial cancer, the researchers believe that when considering the overall effect of HRT it is important to look at both breast and endometrial cancer.[9] However this study was conducted using oral estradiol instead of transdermal estradiol which avoids the risks which the study highlights. Again, this shows that the combined estrogen patch (such as Evorel Conti) or gel (ESTROGEL PROPAK - 17-estradiol and micronized progesterone) is the preferable treatment choice.[10]

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommends Transdermal Estrogen and Micronized Progesterone as a first line hormone therapy option stating that the overall benefits of this therapy include reduction of vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes), lower risk of osteoporotic fractures, lessening of urogenital atrophy, lowering somatic pain and arthralgia, lowering the risk of colorectal cancer and mood stabilisation.[10]

There is a structural difference between hormone therapies that are bioidentical and those that are non-bioidentical, as non-bioidentical are responsible for side effects and health risks in humans. However, they can have positive health benefits for women, and bioidentical hormones can be customized from individual to individual.[11]

Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to have other beneficial effects. In a study women taking estrogen through HRT showed that the estrogen positively affects the prefrontal cortex by boosting the working memory. This suggests that estrogen may play a key role in certain frontal lobe functions in women.[12] Women using HRT after menopause have no additional weight gain compared to women who do not use HRT.[13] Also women who use HRT with an estrogen component show positive effects in their sex life (mainly increasing their sex drive and sexual sensitivity) but the effects are inconsistent across women. These sexual improvements may dissipate after receiving some forms of HRT for extended periods of time.[14]

More here:
Hormone replacement therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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