Bhrt for Specific Ailments

Menopause is defined as the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. The process of menopause is a gradual process. The transition period is called perimenopause. It is important to address the hormonal imbalances during this period, particularly the relative Estrogen dominance. Symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause vary greatly from woman to woman. However, common symptoms of menopause include:

Men after the age of 40 experience a phenomenon similar to the female menopause, called Andropause caused by a drop in testosterone . Low testosterone levels in men are responsible for the bulk of men’s physical and mental decline.

Symptoms of Andropause:

• Changes in attitudes and moods,
• Fatigue, “Pot belly” and decresed physical agility
• Loss of energy, sex drive.
• Erectile dysfunction
• Loss of memory and mental dysfunction
• Increased incidence of Type II Diabetes

Studies show that this decline in testosterone can actually put one at risk for other health problems like heart disease, osteoprosis and Alzheimer’s.

A gradual hormonal decline, unlike menopause, which generally occurs in women during their mid-forties to mid-fifties, men’s “transition” may be much more gradual and expand over many decades. Attitude, psychological stress, alcohol, injuries or surgery, medications, obesity and infections can contribute to its onset and progression.

• Declining estrogen, progesterone and Testosterone levels cause bone density to decrease and the risk of fractures to increase. Estrogen is important for bone growth and strength, while progesterone rebuilds new bone cells. Decline in Growth Hormone levels associated with aging also contributes to the progression of Osteoporosis.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogen and progesterone is approved for both prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Estrogen therapy taken alone without being balanced by Natural Progesterone, can increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer in the uterus and breast.
• Osteoporosis is often associated with inadequate calcium intake. However, a deficiency of vitamin D also contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption. According to the National Institutes of Health (USA), people with vitamin D insufficiency absorb less than 10% of available calcium. The study concluded that there was a lower risk of hip fractures only in individuals with a higher intake of calcium coupled with a higher intake of vitamin D.
• One fifth of hip fractures occur in men. The exponential increase in hip fractures with age is seen in both genders, but the rise occurs about 10 years later in men than in women. Males lose bone density with aging, but because males begin with a higher bone density, they reach osteoporotic levels at an older age than females. Also, men do not undergo the rapid bone loss associated with menopause. By the age of 90, about 17% of males have had a hip fracture, compared to 32% of females.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that can’t be explained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue may worsen with physical or mental activity, but doesn’t improve with rest.

The cause of CFS is unknown, although there are many theories — ranging from viral infections to psychological stress. Some experts believe chronic fatigue syndrome might be triggered by a combination of factors. There’s no single test to confirm a diagnosis of CFS. You may need a variety of medical tests to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms. Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome focuses on symptom relief.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

The main fibromyalgia signs and symptoms include deep muscle pain, painful tender points, and morning stiffness. Other major symptoms of fibromyalgia include sleep problems, fatigue, and anxiety. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, your doctor will need to review your symptoms and signs of fibromyalgia.

Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

Treatment of Fibromyalgia involves Optimization of Thyroid hormones, Testosterone, HGH, Vit D  and B12 along with iron supplements, Coq10 and Omega-3.

Exercise, Yoga, Meditation and stress-reduction measures also may help.

Effective management of Diabetes goes beyond the control of Blood Sugar Level. The approach to this disease management is to focus on balancing key metabolic parameters in the body and mitigate the risk of long term complications of the disease such as Retinopathy, Nephropathy, Neuropathy, Stroke, Hypertension, cardiovascular diseas e and Dementia. This involves recognizing and early treatment of Insulin resistance, Optimization of Thyroid and sex hormones, balancing of metabolic parameters, Optimizing key Vitamins along with Diet and exercise.

Role of Testosterone:

“Restoring normal healthy levels of testosterone may be helpful in preventing heart disease”

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a disabling disease characterized by exercise intolerance and breathlessness. Disease progression arises from prolonged neurohormonal and pro-inflammatory cytokine activation and is associated with a metabolic shift favoring catabolism, vasodilator incapacity, and loss of skeletal muscle bulk and function. In men, androgens are important determinants of anabolic function and physical strength.