Your Guide to Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Everything You Need to Know About BHRT at thriveMD
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve got questions, and you deserve straight answers before you decide whether hormone therapy is right for you. Here’s what our patients ask most often, answered directly.
Is hormone replacement therapy safe?
Yes. Bioidentical hormones offer a safer way to treat hormone-related symptoms than synthetic alternatives, since they don’t carry the toxic byproducts that come with synthetic versions. Long-term use is linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and cognitive decline.
What are some of the risks of hormone therapy?
Alleged Heart Health Risks
On heart health, a widely reported 2014 study raised alarms about testosterone and cardiovascular risk, but it was a retrospective, poorly designed study, and numerous studies since have documented real cardiovascular benefits from properly optimized testosterone. On prostate health, multiple studies, along with research from Harvard urologist Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, have not shown an increased risk of prostate cancer from testosterone supplementation.
What causes hormone imbalances?
Hormone production naturally declines with age, and that decline is what drives the sleep problems, low energy, weight gain, and reduced libido that a lot of patients come in with. Left unaddressed, those deficiencies can raise your risk of several age-related diseases over time.
How are bioidentical hormones prepared?
Bioidentical hormones require a physician’s prescription. After your consultation and lab testing, your provider prescribes a customized combination that a compounding pharmacy prepares using a yam or soy base, formulated to match what your body naturally produces.
How is hormone therapy administered?
Delivery depends on what best fits your body and your life. Options include creams, gels, oral medications, lozenges, injectables, and implantable pellets.
Are testosterone pellets safe?
Yes. Pellet insertion is a minimally invasive, roughly 15-minute procedure performed through a small incision of just 3 to 5 millimeters, with very little trauma. Mild soreness typically resolves within a few days, and each pellet stays active for about 4 to 6 months.
For women, are bioidentical hormones safer than traditional synthetic hormones?
Yes. The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study raised concerns about synthetic hormone risks, including breast cancer, heart attack, blood clots, and stroke, and those findings still shape a lot of the hesitation around hormone therapy today. Bioidentical hormones are a different formulation, and the evidence points to a reduced risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis, along with favorable effects on vascular and cognitive health.
Does testosterone therapy cause heart disease?
No. The cardiovascular concerns that made headlines stemmed from a flawed retrospective study, and numerous subsequent studies have documented real cardiovascular benefits from properly optimized testosterone.
How are hormone levels tested at thriveMD?
We start with a comprehensive blood test that measures both the inactive and active forms of your hormones, a more thorough look than you’d get from a standard annual physical. From there, we retest after you begin therapy and continue at regular intervals to keep your levels dialed in.
Does testosterone therapy increase your risk of prostate cancer?
No, and multiple studies, along with ongoing research from Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, support that conclusion. Testosterone naturally peaks in your twenties and thirties, when prostate cancer is rare, while prostate cancer typically develops later in life, well after testosterone has already declined.
What are the long-term health benefits of BHRT?
A reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and cognitive decline, benefits that build the longer your hormone levels stay optimized.
Does hormone therapy increase the risk of breast cancer?
No. In women who begin bioidentical estrogen and progesterone at menopause, the evidence points to roughly a 30% lower risk of breast cancer rather than a higher one.
How can I learn more about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
We recommend reading Dr. Neal Rouzier’s book “How to Achieve Healthy Aging.” Dr. Rouzier is a renowned researcher who provided training to Dr. Scott Brandt, founder and medical director of thriveMD. We also recommend reading our blog, namely the posts in the BHRT category.
TRUE CONCIERGE ACCESS
True Concierge Access by
Leaders in Longevity Medicine
Most medicine waits for problems to arrive. We don’t. At thriveMD, your care is built around a simple conviction: the best time to address your health is before anything goes wrong – and the best way to do it is with a provider who knows you deeply, is always available, and never stops looking ahead.
thriveMD proudly serves as Colorado’s premier stem cell, concierge management, and regenerative medicine clinic, offering innovative treatments that help you optimize your health and return to an active lifestyle free from pain. Our clinic is headed by Dr. Scott Brandt, a leading expert with extensive training in regenerative medicine who now serves as one of the nation’s top stem cell therapy doctors. He uses his years of training and extensive knowledge of regenerative medicine and its benefits to provide the highest quality of patient care available to patients.
Access Bioidentical Hormone Therapy in Centennial, Cherry Creek, and Vail/Edwards
If you still have questions, or you’re ready to find out whether BHRT is right for you, reach out and we’ll walk you through it.