Hormone therapy shouldn’t be used for the heart – (11-02-00)



HRT Shouldn’t Be Used as Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease

This is always a very sensitive issue with many women. I am ardently opposed to the use of synthetic drugs to “treat” a natural process in women. We have created a disease–menopause. It is a natural state of life, not one to be medicated into eradication. I do support the use of natural HRT if needed, but this constant quest for man to best nature is not good for our health. Not only does the use unquestionably increase your risk of cancer, but with the release of this study (which, ironically, has not been plastered all over the media….???) it blasts another reason many women take HRT–prevention of heart disease.

Pharmacotherapy 20(9):1021-1027, 2000 As described in the pro side of this debate, several CHD benefits are ascribed to estrogen, including positive effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and promotion of coronary vasodilatation, specifically through endothelium- dependent mechanisms, reduction of fibrinogen levels, and production of antioxidant activity. Although these are plausible mechanisms by which estrogen might provide benefit to patients with CHD, the proven benefit of hormone replacement for secondary prevention of CHD remained untested until the HERS. Hormone replacement therapy has not been proven to reduce cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease. In contrast, it increases the risk of thromboembolism, even in a carefully screened population such as the HERS. Long-term HRT and the age of the targeted population are both associated with increased breast cancer risk.

James Bogash

For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.







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