We think if we have hormonal problems, we sensibly need to see an endocrinologist or gynecologist. But it turns out, today, that not many people, even doctors, get hormones right. Dr. Monaco explains this stunning reality in medicine, in-depth.
Very few doctors have been trained in how to assess for hormonal imbalances, how to treat, how long to treat, and to appreciate the emerging broad swath of hormonal protective actions that occur all throughout the human body. Too many doctors practice extremely antiquated medicine, especially in terms of the world of hormone therapies.
Hormones are not just about sexy or reproductive actions. They are not just about issues in middle or later age.
Just a few examples:
- Testosterone protects against premature death in males.
- It also protects against prostate disease.
- It protects against heart disease in women.
- In both genders hormones are major brain protectors.
- Estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, even oxytocin, all, in both genders, help ward off depression, anxiety and even dementia.
- DHEA makes your skin look shinier and younger.
- Melatonin fights cancer, not just insomnia.
- Estrogen receptor beta signals protect against breast and prostate cancer.
- In contrast, receptor beta signals in excess, promote heart disease.
- Thus, hormones must be in optimal ‘goldilocks’ ranges.
- Laboratory norms based on populations of regular people are often not the best way to assess the best hormone levels for you and me.
- Many women are told after a hysterectomy, to only take estrogen, never progesterone, as they don’t have a uterus. Wrong! Old ignorant thinking. Still practiced. Who loses out? You!
Many women’s ovaries after any abdominal surgery don’t work as well, yet these women rarely have their hormones tracked, or replacement considered.
Dementia is on the rise. Bioidentical hormone replacement should also then, be on the rise. Why? Hormones protect our brain. They even tamp down susceptibility genes, like APOE4 for Alzheimer’s, meaning they really protect the brain. The Department of Neurology at UCLA is reversing mild to moderate cases of dementia (in 3 to 6 months!) and what is one of their major tools? Hormone replacement!
Do we hear about this much? No. Why? Because the scientists are UCLA are reversing dementia without big drugs. They are using nutrients, herbs, diet and hormones. That won’t work. Because medicine has become a lot about drugs. A profession that hands out drugs. And casts suspicion upon drugless therapies.
If there are more inexpensive but helpful, effective answers, like nutrients and hormones, those often aren’t recommended. In fact, a doctor may lose his or her position in a team practice if they recommend these tools to their patients. Even if they know they work, are less expensive and have less dangers. Why? Medicine is drugs. The doctors write the scripts. But you are part of the issue, too. If you keep going to the trough and keep getting more drugs, you too are contributing to this enlarging, dangerous and unprecedented problem.
To age without hormone assessment and individual replacement, is to miss out on this personalized medicine that is amazingly protective on so many levels. Women don’t realize that many women on bioidentical hormone therapies have less risk of breast cancer, not more.
Hormones are as close to anti-aging miracles as you can get. Many of the symptoms of aging, like aches, pains, poorer memory, wimpier muscles, getting fatter, getting old lady and man voice, losing lung power, and more, are greatly due to hormonal waning. And can be reversed, rather rapidly, by hormonal replacement.
Alas, too many doctors don’t realize this perspective or wide range of actions of hormones. They do not see hormones as “preventative” or “treatment” tools. But just because they don’t read or know about the vast literature that substantiates this viewpoint, does not mean they’re right. Or that you should lose out.
Dr. Monaco shares how he went from a baby delivering, New Jersey raised, tough guy, softhearted gynecologist, to a bioidentical hormone and integrative physician.
Dr. M is in a team practice with a world famous integrative cardiologist, Dr. Mark C. Houston in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Monaco lectures worldwide on how hormones protect against heart disease, a major killer for both sexes, as we grow older.
Dr. M trains doctors in how hormones protect us against many ills often regarded as inevitable, but which often are results of email freeze from hormonal signals. And these issues are often rapidly fixed, if treated by a smart foreword-thinking doctor like Jack!