Bioidentical Hormone Resource Center

It’s well known that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is used for relief of menopausal and andropausal symptoms, but did you know that it’s also good for your heart?

Once we are past the age of 50, our chances of getting heart disease increases. The American Heart Association estimates that 90,000 men between the ages of 45 and 64 die of heart attacks or other cardiovascular complications per year and heart disease is also the leading cause of death in women.

Let’s first talk about testosterone’s role in protecting the heart. High levels of testosterone decrease the overall cholesterol levels while maintaining HDL (the good cholesterol) at optimal levels. It also has an artery-dilating effect which increases coronary blood flow. One of the most important reasons why men should have their testosterone levels checked is because it reduces inflammatory cytokines (any of various protein molecules secreted by cells of the immune system that serve to regulate the immune system)which cause plaque rupture and the resulting heart attack and stroke. Testosterone protects the heart. A optimal levels, it creates a healthy environment to protect agains all forms of heart disease.

Today most doctors only care about high cholesterol in treating patients with heart disease, but high cholesterol is really a symptom of low thyroid.

In the Roterrdam Study (The aim of the Rotterdam Study is to investigate factors that determine the occurrence of cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmological, endocrinological, and psychiatric diseases in elderly people. The study was established in 1990 by professor Albert Hofman of the department Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands), it was shown that women with subclinical hypothyroidism were more likely to have a history of heart attacks and heart disease. These women had twice the chance of developing atherosclerosis or a heart attack. More studies have shown that thyroid therapy can decrease all the cardiovascular alterations influenced by hypothyroidism.

The thyroid and the heart both play a pivotal role in an individual’s longevity. At high function, the thyroid keeps blood pressure and cholesterol low and prevents too much weight gain. People with low thyroid can experience increased cholesterol, blood pressure and hardened arteries. Thyroid increases fat breakdown, resulting in weight loss as well as lower cholesterol levels and protects against cardiovascular disease.

Estrogen and progesterone are also important players in heart health. Estrogen works to keep the heart free of disease as it has a positive effect on cholesterol. Bioidentical progesterone works with estrogen to keep your heart working at a youthful level. It affects your lipids and protects against heart disease and stroke. Estrogen and progesterone reduce plaque buildup in the arteries-as opposed to Provera (which is usually prescribed but is not effective in the same way that estrogen is with bioidentical progesterone).

And finally we have DHEA. DHEA can turn into estradiol and testosterone, therefore decreasing visceral fat (fat that surrounds the internal organs), and as a result decreasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

A good bioidentical hormone replacement specialist should always advocate a healthy diet, exercise and lifestyle but sometimes that simply is not enough. In such a case, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be a solution for preventative medicine. If you are concerned about your risks for heart disease and are wanting to discuss your options with a specialist please visit our list of doctors at: www.bioidenticalhormonedoctors.com.