INFO - Bioidentical hormones: Are they better than standard HRT?

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MayoClinic.com

Ask a Women's Health Specialist

March 6, 2006

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Bioidentical hormones: Are they better than standard HRT?

Question:

Are bioidentical hormones really better and safer than traditional hormone

therapy?

- / No state given

Mayo Clinic breast-health specialist Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., and colleagues

answer select questions from readers.

Answer:

There is a lot of interest in bioidentical - or so called " natural " -

hormone therapy for menopause symptoms. However, there is no evidence that

bioidentical hormones are safer or more effective than standard hormone

replacement therapy.

Bioidentical hormones are custom-mixed formulas containing various hormones

that are chemically identical to those naturally made by your body. These

over-the-counter products are marketed as being tailored to a woman's

individual hormone needs, typically determined through saliva hormone

testing. Manufacturers claim that bioidentical hormones are safer than

standard, FDA-approved hormone therapy.

According to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), custom compounds

may provide certain benefits, such as individualized doses and mixtures of

products and dosage forms that are not available commercially. However, they

may also pose risks to consumers. These compounds have not been approved by

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and as a result have not been tested

for purity, potency, efficacy or safety. These products may even contain

unknown contaminants. For this reason, NAMS does not recommend these

custom-mixed products over well-tested, government-approved commercial

products for the majority of women.

Also, bioidentical estrogen and progesterone are available in FDA-approved

hormone therapy products, including:

Estradiol, derived from soy or yam sources, such as Estrace, Climara

patch and Vivelle-Dot patch

Natural progesterone (Prometrium)

These products come in many different doses and forms. So, you don't need to

turn to unregulated, individually compounded products as your only source of

" natural " hormones.

http://mayoclinic.com/health/bioidentical-hormones/AN01133

Not an MD

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Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org