While many peri- and post-menopausal women request bioidentical hormones, there is no data to suggest that bioidential hormones are safer or more effective than FDA-approved hormone replacement therapies.
In women, testosterone is produced by the ovaries in small amounts; however, levels of testosterone decline with age, independent of menopausal status. Low-dose testosterone has been used to improve sexual functioning in women with [...]
Increasing numbers of peri- and post-menopausal women request “bioidentical” rather than synthetic hormones. Although there is a tendency to think of bioidentical hormones as “all-natural”, they, like synthetic hormones, are manufactured in the laboratory. In [...]
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone produced by humans. It functions as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the androgen and estrogen sex steroids. In a recent study, presented at the annual meeting [...]
Early observational studies suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may improve cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women; however, larger studies, including the Women’s Health Initiative, have shown that estrogen replacement therapy started in postmenopausal women (65 [...]
Multiple studies have demonstrated that the menopausal transition is associated with a 2- to 4-fold increased risk for clinically significant depressive symptoms. There have been several studies suggesting that hormone therapy may improve depressive [...]
While there have been concerns regarding the risks associated with prolonged use of hormone replacement, an increasing number of studies suggest that the risk may be relatively low in certain populations and that hormone replacement [...]
Several years ago, we reviewed a paper suggesting that estrogen may have beneficial effects for women with schizophrenia. In this study, women with schizophrenia were treated with estrogen in addition to their antipsychotic medications. Adjunctive [...]
Several years ago, we reviewed a paper suggesting that estrogen may be a beneficial treatment for women with schizophrenia. In this study, patients with schizophrenia were treated with estrogen. There was significant improvement in their [...]
Early observational studies suggested that postmenopausal hormone treatment may improve cognitive functioning in women; however, studies from the Women’s Health Initiative have shown that estrogen replacement therapy started in postmenopausal women (65 years or older) [...]
