Bioidentical hormones have been used for therapies since 2002. Women who receive hormone replacement therapy have higher risks of stroke, heart attack, and even breast cancer. With bioidentical hormones being used to treat symptoms, women can receive hormones that are biochemically the same as their own. This process has some pros and cons to consider when look at this technology’s future viability.
The Pros of Bioidentical Hormones
1. It improves the overall health of women.
Women who would be taking bioidentical hormones would potentially experience a number of health benefits. This would include less overall bleeding and less puffiness when compared to other forms of hormone therapy.
2. There are fewer cancer risks.
Bioidentical hormones reduce the risks of cancer development that synthetic or cross-species hormones bring with them. Some data even suggests that there is no increased risks at all.
3. It is easier to measure serum levels.
When women aren’t responding to treatments as they should, bioidentical hormones make it easier to determine this and alter therapies so that the maximum health benefit can be achieved.
The Cons of Bioidentical Hormones
1. There has been no long-term testing.
Many celebrities might swear by their bioidentical hormone treatments, but that doesn’t mean they are safe or useful to everyone. No long-term clinical trials have been completed on bioidentical hormones, so this therapy may have unknown risks.
2. Identical hormones may not actually be identical.
The problem that the health care community faces here is that compounding pharmacies may create batches of hormones with slightly different dosages. These different dosages could have large health consequences in the future or cause women to not experience the intended benefits of their therapy.
3. Hormone levels fluctuate frequently.
The prescription given for bioidentical hormones will likely be based on saliva hormone testing. The only problem is that hormone levels can vary on a daily basis, so what a woman needs for hormone replacement one day may be very different than the next day.
Bioidentical hormones may limit the risks that standard hormone replacement brings. They may also bring some new risks that have not been properly evaluated. Unfortunately this means more research must ultimately be completed for a fully informed decision to be made on this subject.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
