Estrogen Therapy

Estrogen Therapy for Women

On the whole, women are discouraged by what mainstream medicine has to offer when it comes to hormone therapy. They’re also daunted by the abundant misinformation available—particularly when it comes to estrogen. Allow us to shed some light on this very misunderstood hormone.

A Brief History

Confusion about estrogen has abounded for years. And it’s no wonder.

First, women were told that replacing estrogen during menopause was healthy. And for decades, that’s what they did. To their collective relief, estrogen replacement reduced or eliminated the unpleasant symptoms of menopause.

Then findings were released from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study in 2002. Those findings cited adverse effects from replacing estrogen. The knee-jerk response by most medical professionals was to stop prescribing estrogen. It has been controversial and misunderstood ever since.

Today we know the WHI study was poorly structured, the results were not interpreted correctly, and that medical professionals were grossly misinformed. Nevertheless, estrogen continues to be lost in the proverbial shuffle.

Facts About Estrogen

1. Synthetic hormones, not bioidentical ones, were behind the negative outcomes that occurred during the WHI study. The results from more recent studies speak to the safety and benefits of bioidentical estrogen, and to the weaknesses of the WHI study.
2. When replacing hormones, it’s critically important to use bioidentical estrogen. Bioidentical estrogen is molecularly identicalin structure to estrogen produced by a woman’s body.
3. Effectiveness and safety of hormone therapy involves more than just estrogen. Other hormones, particularly progesterone, are also important.
4. Estrogen is more than one hormone. It’s a class of hormones, with three estrogens being most active: estrone, estradiol, and estriol.
5. Estriol is the mildest of the three estrogens, and actually helps to prevent breast cancer.

Benefits of Estrogen

Let’s cut to the chase. Estrogen is the feel-good hormone for women. Women simply aren’t at their best and healthiest without it. Following are the many benefits estrogen provides:

• Decreases “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increases “good” cholesterol (HDL)
• Protects arteries by keeping them open and flexible
• Lowers heart attack risk
• Protects brain health and reduces dementia risk
• Increases mental acuity
• Promotes collagen production
• Helps skin to retain its moisture and elasticity
• Maintains elasticity and lubrication of vaginal tissue
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Increases metabolism and reduces appetite
• Keeps a woman’s voice strong and steady
• Promotes insulin sensitivity and stabilizes blood sugar
• Detoxifies cells
• Protects against breast and ovarian cancer when estriol is combined with bioidentical progesterone

Estrogen receptors can be found throughout a woman’s body. Take estrogen away, and things don’t work as well. Optimize estrogen, and everything functions better.

The Right Amount and the Right Kind

While estrogen is necessary for cell growth, there are times when that cell growth needs to be curtailed. To that end, the right kinds of estrogen should be replaced in the right amounts and in the right way.

Estradiol and Estrone: The Growth Promoters

Estradiol is the strongest of the three estrogens. It emits a signal for growth that is loud and clear. Estrone is a little weaker than estradiol, but also sends out a strong signal for growth. Combined, these two estrogens can promote a lot of cell growth. That’s good—but only to a point. If that growth goes unchecked, cancer risk is increased.

Estriol: The Growth Stopper

This is where estriol comes in. Estriol is the weakest of the estrogens, and it curtails cell growth by binding with a super-calming receptor site called ER beta. In other words, when estradiol and estrone get carried away, estriol steps in and settles things down.

Biest: The Best of Both Worlds

For most women, biest (short for bi-estrogen) is safer and healthier than taking estradiol alone. Comprised of bioidentical estradiol and estriol, biest promotes cell growth; but it does so at a healthy and safe rate.

Method of Delivery Matters

Estrogen is best taken via topical cream. Pellets and patches are ineffective and taking estrogen orally has been shown to increase breast cancer risk.

ER Alpha and ER Beta

Estrogen can bind to two kinds of receptor sites: ER alpha and ER beta. Think of receptor sites like locks and hormone molecules as if they were keys. When a hormone molecule attaches to the right kind of receptor, the hormone is activated.

There is a link between these receptor sites and breast health. When estrogen binds to ER alpha, growth is stimulated. When estriol binds to ER beta, growth is blocked. These receptor sites are particularly prevalent in breast tissue.

When breasts are healthy, there will be more ER beta receptors present than ER alpha receptors. As noted above, ER beta receptors protect breasts by stopping growth when appropriate. Again, estriol is breast protective when it binds to ER beta receptors.

There are a number of factors that will promote the presence of ER beta receptors, but one of the more important ones is progesterone. This is why our physicians will never prescribe estrogen without also prescribing bioidentical progesterone.

Method of Treatment

Our mission is straightforward:

• We want to help you age better.
• We want to do so safely.
• We want the process to be simple and easy for you.

Sound impossible? It’s not. We know how to accomplish all three.

• Our physicians’ will tailor your treatment regimen to your unique needs, based upon your lab levels and your symptoms.
• Treatment will include routine monitoring via lab testing to ensure lab levels remain optimal.
• You’ll play an active role in determining what’s best for you.
• Dosing is adjusted over time as needed.

We know accurate information about estrogen can be hard to find, and that quality treatment can be elusive. We also know that trying to overcome these obstacles can be an exercise in frustration. Renew Youth is your solution to these challenges.

We’re here to demystify the process. We’re here to empower you with solid information. We’re here to be your partner in better aging.