Hormone replacement therapy  

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment system for women who are surgically menopausal, perimenopausal or postmenopausal. This medical treatment is otherwise known as Hormone therapy (HT) in Britain . The treatment is to alleviate or prevent the discomfort felt by women due to the diminished estrogen and progesterone hormones circulating within their bodies. The treatment includes the boosting of hormone levels of women by a group of medications formulated to artificially boost such hormones to a certain level. Estrogens, progesterone or progestins, and sometimes testosterone, are the main types of hormones involved in the said treatment. This is more particularly referred to as “treatment” rather than therapy. HRR eases the symptoms of hormonal deficiencies and imbalances that may manifest at any stage of life after adolescence. HRT is employed particularly in cases of hormonal imbalance during and at post menopause whereby in the latter, the levels of progesterone and testosterone decline. For men afflicted with andropause, usually middle-aged men, where testosterone levels decline, HRT is used as treatment. However, menopausal and andropausal symptoms subside without any treatment. With HRT treatment, the symptoms are abated after a period of one to three months of application. HRT alleviates the symptoms of menopause such as night sweats, sleep disorders, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Osteoporosis or the thinning and weakening of the bones may also be prevented by estrogen. Other diseases such as colon cancer, macular degeneration or the loss in vision due to age, and the onset of Alzheimer's disease, may be prevented through HRT treatment.  

Hormone replacement therapy risks and possible side effects in women:

• Women who take estrogen without progesterone or progestin have increased risk of endometrial cancer.
• Breast cancer after 4 years or more of HRT, as indicated in the WHI research on women taking continuously combined oral estrogen and progestin (Prempro). However, estrogen alone may not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Breast increases in density thus obscuring mammograms in interpreting result, and the possibility of breast cancer is therefore increased. This is associated with women taking Prempro, an oral progestin with estrogen.
• Risk of ovarian cancer is slightly increased.
• Oral estrogens such as Premarin is associated with slightly increased risk of blood clotting and coagulation.
• Oral estrogens such as Premarin is associated with increased risk of diseases of the gall bladder.
• Both in healthy women and those with history of cardiovascular diseases, there is a slight increase risk of heart attack which may be associated with continuous intake of estrogen and progestin (Prempro) or the daily intake of progestin such as Provera with estrogen.
• Pain in the breast area which is often not a persisting problem.
• Nausea or vomiting which is associated with oral estrogens.
• Fluid retention and bloating which is associated with oral intake of pregestins like medroxyprogesterone acetate.
• Mood swings which is associated with oral intake of progestins like medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (Natural hormone replacement therapy)

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy refers to the employment of hormones that are chemically produced yet identical to those produced in a woman's body, although such therapy are likewise associated with pharmaceutical compounding and testing of the saliva to properly determine and adjust a woman's level of hormones eventhough the latter generated controversies because compounding presented risks of problems in dosing, potency and risk of contamination. Saliva testing is however bereft of merit because of the natural changes in hormone levels. Some proponents claim that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can provide better advantages over traditional hormone replacement therapy in the absence of clear proofs to back these claims.

Male hormone replacement  

The peak levels of testosterone are during the age of 17 in men. The levels are stagnant until such levels decline when men's age reaches 30 to 40. By the age of 80, those levels are about half diminished as compared to then he was just a young lad. Testosterone can be toxic to the liver, that's why it cannot be taken as a pill. Due to this, testosterone is applied through the skin as a gel, usually spread daily on the upper arms, shoulders, and abdomen every morning after taking a shower when the skin is already clean and dry. Before, testosterone patches are used or the so called transdermal method. This is however replaced by gels. A striant is a type of gel applied to the gums. Testosterone may also be introduced as an injection. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the testosterone hormone as regulated and controlled substance, even more strictly regulated than Viagra, a trademard for an enzyme-inhibiting drug, sildenafil citrate, that is used to treat impotence in men. However, testosterone products proliferate over the internet which can be risky and unreliable.

Specific forms of testosterone are: Testosterone gel (Testogel) 50mg bd Transdermal Patch: Testosterone 5mg/d (Andropatch) Buccal Tablets: Testosterone 30mg (Striant) Orally: Testosterone undecanoate (Restandol): 80mg twice daily Intramuscular injection: testosterone as proportionate 30mg, phenylpropionate 60mg, isocaproate 60mg, decanoate 100mg (Sustanon): 250mg every two/three weeks

Reported benefits of testosterone HRT therapy in men include:  

• Relative increase in muscle mass and lower body fat
• Noticeable increase in libido or sex drive
• Significant increase in vitality and energy levels
• Improved focus and concentration, and productivity

• Bloating and fluid retention which may lead to swelling of the leg or ankle, debilitating and congestive heart failure or high blood pressure.
• Liver illnesses usually of men taking orally testosterone replacement therapy may exhibit liver complications like liver toxicity.
• Sleep apnea, men with increased levels of testosterone in their bodies may worsen their pre-existing problems of sleep apnea.
• Fertility issues, spermatogenesis, which is also known as the production of sperm, depends on the amount of testosterone produced by the testes. If testosterone is taken through supplements, the testes may no longer produce naturally their own testosterone thus resulting to significant or complete halt of production of sperm.
• Development of enlarged of breast. Older men undergoing testosterone therapy may experience development of their breasts because this is the result of the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
• Increase in red blood cells. Men under testosterone replacement therapy may exhibit an increase in the concentration of the red blood cells and hemoglobin which may result in greater risks of blood coagulation in the veins and heart attacks.
• Increase in prostate size. Men who are diagnosed to have prostate cancer are cautioned not to undergo testosterone replacement therapy because such treatment causes the enlargement of the prostate thereby increasing the growth of cancer cells and tissues.