Sex Hormone Replacement

Sex Hormone Replacement: Important Anti-Aging tools but are they safe? The Bottom Line

Testosterone Replacement Therapy for men [TRT] and Hormone Replacement Therapy for women [HRT] have major benefits in term of symptom relief and long term health.

A casual un-analytic search on the internet will bring up lots of negative information about potential risks for cancer or cardiovascular disease that is completely untrue for either TRT or HRT. The sex hormones testosterone [T] and oestradiol [E2] have many benefits in our pursuit of a longer HealthSpan, so I strongly recommend them to both men and women.

Urban mythology

But because there are lots of urban myths around hormone replacement and because even reputable sources like the Mayo Clinic publish scandalously out of date and incorrect information on their websites[1] I often get an anxious response mainly based on concerns about impact on cancer or heart disease risk that are not real hazards.

E and T are hormones that we make in our bodies and rely on for essential functions. They decline with age and menopause and the lower levels have adverse consequences and no identifiable benefit.

Medical prejudice

When decline happens with other hormones eg insulin and thyroid hormone Drs readily prescribe these hormones to bring levels back to normal. For some inexplicable reason, some take a different and prejudicial view of sex hormones and apply different rules eg calling it ‘hormone treatment’ rather than hormone replacement and being critical of those who choose hormone replacement to improve quality of life.  It is intrinsically improbable and scientifically illogical that one of our body’s essential hormones might cause harm when brought back into the normal physiological range. Overdosing to a high level might be problematic but that is not what we are discussing.

Why are there negative research studies?

The safety of all medication is intensively studied. The criteria for a reliable study are well known but some poorly designed, inadequately executed or dishonest studies do get published. It is important with scientific research as it is with social media or news reporting to check the validity of negative information and cross check against other sources. If there are 100 studies then it is quite likely that 95 or 96 are positive and 4 or 5 are negative. The problem is that the bad studies/ negative results continue to be headlined even if they are not scientifcially credible. This ahs happened in both Mne’s and Women’s Health areas.

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[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/testosterone-therapy/art-20045728.....