The health benefits of hormone replacement – Dermatology Times

Beverly Hills, Calif., dermatologist Ronald Moy, M.D., says that bioidentical hormones have been shown to decrease and prevent the risk of Alzheimers, osteoporosis and heart disease, which parallels the increased risk of heart disease that comes with aging.

In general, the treatment goal with bioidentical hormone treatment is to get patients to where they should be optimally not to over or under treat, according to Dr. Moy.

Dr. Moy says he focuses on taking baseline blood tests for levels of all the hormones and then prescribing based on blood tests and symptoms.

Many women are perimenopausal or postmenopausal and their levels will be low, he says. I try to get their levels to the high end of normal, or what we term optimal. Their thyroid free T3 might be 2.4 and they need to get it up to 4.2. If they get it up, they feel better. Or the free testosterone is the low end of normal and if they get it up to the higher end of normal, they all of the sudden get in a better mood, have better skin, energy and libido. Obviously, you have to interpret everything within the context of the patient, as adjustment is made by many factors.

Treating patients with bioidentical hormones is not conventional dermatology but is a part of dermatology practice, according to Dr. Moy. The addition of BHRT has been the most beneficial of all other treatments that Dr. Moy offers.

Its an area where most endocrinologists arent doing much, and most ob-gyns arent focused on all of the hormones nor do they understand the concept of optimizing levels. Its sort of an unmet need, and I think thats one reason it has become so common in my practice and so well embraced by so many patients, Dr. Moy says.

Read More: HRT for anti-aging: The hormones and the benefits

Hormones are also beneficial to men. Dr. Moy recommends hormones for his male patients, too, and encourages women to refer their spouses for hormone replacement.

A Question of HRT Risk

Researchers of the Dermatology Online Journal review report bioidentical hormone replacement therapies are associated with dermatologic adverse effects. For example, testosterone is associated with acne, hirsutism and facial hair growth. DHEA might increase risk for skin pigmentation, increase skin oiliness, perspiration and more. And some treatments, including estrogen with or without progesterone, can cause localized allergic reactions if given in patch form. However, the side effects are rare and easily remedied by dosage adjustment, according to Dr. Moy.

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The health benefits of hormone replacement - Dermatology Times