You're watching...
The thought of taking hormone therapy to deal with menopause symptoms is scary to some women. Dr. Manny talks with hormone expert Dr. Jennifer Landa ...
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Hello welcome to help dog undocumented for some women using hormone therapy to deal -- menopause symptoms is a scary thought now is it safe.
Will a have a long term effect in my health he had to break it down for us this hormone expert and author doctor Jennifer land down my favored.
Doctor the world.
Big ticket item because women are living longer.
Millions of women are entering into this whole area of the menopausal -- so.
Is hormone replacement therapy.
Safe.
I absolutely feel that it's safe and I feel that it's essential what you said it was such a good point because we've managed to expand a -- In the last hundred years we've doubled the life span from forty to eighty.
But what have we done to increase the health.
Of our nation well -- So that a professor at thirty years you would told me he was -- bag man who.
Women need estrogen until they die.
Absolutely and you know what I was trained here in the in New York in a residency program where I was told.
I would be sued for malpractice if I didn't offer women hormone replacement therapy and they had to -- -- but.
Took a beating because there was a Eddie is that came out they -- -- and questionable cancer relay -- When Maryann.
Questionable.
Issues with clotting disorders -- and I certainly hormones there are medications.
In the sense that they.
Do influence on metabolism yes so.
Let's look at -- the criteria this.
Who would you say it needs hormone replacement therapy.
Well you know what's interesting like you said hormone therapy took a beating about ten years ago -- -- but since then it's great because me learn so much.
And from that study one of the things that we learned is that the earlier the better.
As far as the treatment of classrooms so for heart disease women between fifty and 59.
Are prime candidates to get started on hormone therapy after fifty -- it becomes a little bit more questionable -- they have periods in fifty.
Well now let's let's back up a little bit of -- women who cut completely lost their menstrual period.
Tend to be better candidates for a combination of estrogen and progesterone play.
Prior to losing their period -- I should a lot of women with just cyclic -- -- -- meaning progesterone in the second half of the cycle.
Because that's what women tend to lose first there was progesterone before they lose the estrogen.
Okay but you start replacing a little bit of exactly those hormones because as otherwise -- -- to -- applause was such a force -- salute you know they have data like -- perfectly into when he eleven and then -- -- -- twelve.
They're like oh my god.
Yes I think Ahmadinejad weighing I don't have any sex drive I feel sad I -- and and she is I get the hot flashes -- mean he just had some -- about.
Like it's -- -- and -- yes absolutely so I have a lot of patients who come to me in their forties.
And we start slowly replacing the hormones that they've lost as they go along so progesterone and testosterone or two with a one but I find them losing first.
And then estrogen when needed usually when the periods have gone away.
And how do you give these hormones and you know once you're in the first case of hormone replacement therapy.
You like them morally you like them bad you really like them to patch injections what -- -- -- -- on which harm and we're talking about one of the things that we've learned since that big study ten years ago is that when we give the estrogen by mouth.
We're going to increase the risk of clots and strokes but when we give the estrogen through the skin and a -- or cream or gel.
We don't increase the risk of stroke at all.
Still that's really important that and to know that estrogen by them now is kind of an older method through the scan.
Is the warm honored you and that -- -- -- live bad passing that first pass through the land that's is that warnings at his very -- clotting.
Risk factors.
You know because fortunately every we have to give the good and the bad -- what are some of the potential risks is something we're doing wrong.
You know the thing that I think creates the biggest risk and I think this was really showed in this study that that -- that we keep referring to.
Is that when you use the artificial forms of progesterone club for -- when you mix those with estrogen you definitely increased the risk of breast cancer and the risk of heart disease.
But that's the only thing they studied in that study.
There are some huge studies that have gone on in Europe including the French big French -- -- the -- dial which is the natural estrogen and women's bodies with progesterone.
Not for just stand and they -- -- decreased risk of heart disease and had decreased risk of breast cancer.
So I think it's a very individualized.
Formulation that we need to make decisions for each patient.
Based on their individuals in the area but -- -- -- hormone replacement therapy let's not forget to do XY and Z what on the shore.
There are but one thing I want to point out is not only do the patients feel better but what really scares me is the long term health ramifications.
Because the minute we lose those -- -- we start building plaque in the arteries we start building those tangles in the brain that cause alzheimer's.
But yes we do you have screening techniques it's the same screening techniques that we basically -- we monitor them -- mammograms we of course want -- to have pelvic exams.
We of course want them to have colonoscopy screening I don't think it's really any different than what we have already.
Because that's important because again is because.
Because of the bad press than we have gotten in hormone replacement therapy -- at all.
I'm an increased risk for breast cancer so I'm gonna get my -- you know my mammogram twice a year.
And I keep telling women that you know what you don't have to if if there's no other factors and -- -- from the plant fact that you're doing hormone replacement therapy.
You really don't need to go -- does -- the norm for -- -- category.
I agree because actually when you use the hormones that are the same as what's in a woman's body naturally.
I honestly believe that your.
This -- screening therapy type of schedule.
Then any other woman all right so the bottom line -- hormones are good hormones are good aren't -- are -- as long as you choose the right ones at the right time Smartphones are going exactly hormones in the body it's passengers it's the battery.
Estrogen has 400 functions in a woman's body.
What's happening to her body when she loses all -- and what's the 400 functions in much to stop you on the list of all outlets have.
I -- thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me doctor Manning -- -- have any health questions you get emailing a fox a document EF five's who's not come until next time around document.
