Transcript Do I Need Hormones?

Do I Need Hormones?
Dr Johnnie Ham, MD
Coastal Prestige Medical Services and Clinic
Pismo Beach, California
What are Hormones?
• Hormones are BioChemical Messengers
• Hormones control numerous functions
in the body
• One of the Two Major Controllers in
your body
Unique Targets
Where do they come from?
Focus on the Major Sex
Hormones
• Estrogen
• Estradiol – the major player
• Estrone – less active, post-menopausal
• Estriol – the pregnancy estrogen
• Progesterone
• “pro” “gestational”
• Testosterone
Estradiol
• Performs over 240 functions in the body
• In contrast, Testosterone performs about
110; Thyroid Hormone performs about 15
• Produced by the month’s stimulated
follicles in the ovary
• So, no stimulated follicles, no estradiol
Testosterone
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improves oxygen uptake throughout the body
controls blood sugar
regulates cholesterol
increases lean body mass
prevents osteoporosis
maintains immune function
maintains cardiac functions
Stimulates neurological function and repair
Prevalence of Hypogonadism Using
Bioavailable Testosterone and Free
Androgen Index
From Morley JE, Perry HM. Andropause: an old concept in new clothing. Clinics in Geriatric
Medicine 2003; Vol 19, No 3.
Table 2. Prevalence of hypogonadism in older men.
Age (y)
Percent Hypogonadal
Baltimore Longitudinal
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
32
49
64
78
98
Mayo Clinic
Canadian Physicians
37
66
70
94
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41
61
76
95
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Symptoms of Testosterone
Deficiency in Women AND Men
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Decreased or absent libido
Erectile or Sexual dysfunction
Decreased muscle mass
Decreased muscle strength
Osteoporosis
Heart disease
Sleep disorders
Memory failure
Irritability
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Decreased energy level
Mood swings
Depression
Anxiety
Increased pain
Cold intolerance
Decreased self-confidence
Decreased cognition
Loss of sense of well-being
Serum testosterone (a) and free testosterone concentrations (b) in patients receiving
testosterone gel 5 (closed circles), 7.5(closed squares), and 10g/d(closed triangles). The dotted
lines represent the adult male reference range
Jockenhovel F et al. The good, the bad, and the unknown of late onset hypogonadism: the urological perspective.
Journal of Men’s Health and Gender. September 2005, Vol 2, No. 3.
Is there anything I can do
without taking hormones?
• Lots….
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Exercise
Diet
Herbal Supplements
Stress Reduction techniques
Chiropractic care
Massage therapy
So Why Treat?
Managing Hormones
Basic Level
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Start with symptoms
Educate on risks, benefits, alternatives
Begin therapy, monitor the results
Incrementally add or subtract whatever is
needed for your personal desired effect
• Once everything is “perfect” then measure to
get a baseline
• Generally, using Estradiol, Testosterone, and
sometimes progesterone
How much does it Cost?
• If not covered by insurance:
• Testosterone and estradiol cream thru the
Women’s International Pharmacy is $19.50 per
month each
• Most insurance companies cover estradiol for women
and testosterone for men, including MediCare
• Most men are willing to pay $19.50 for testosterone
for their wives…
More Info?
• Strongly Recommend:
• “Perfect Balance” by Dr Robert Greene,
featured on Oprah, bestseller
• “The Life Extension Revolution” by Philip Lee
Miller, MD, Los Gatos Longevity Center
• “Natural Hormone Balance for Women” by
Uzzi Reiss, UCLA
• Caution – be careful about what you read
on the Internet!