Top 5 Hormones Affecting the Health of Your Skin

There are many important factors to healthy skin:  a diet rich in fruits and vegetables of many colors, good hydration, regular exercise.  There are some important factors to avoid as well including sun damage, smoking, sugar and processed foods.  

But did you know that there are also many hormonal issues that can affect skin health?

Estrogen has many important actions on the skin:  It retains moisture, to prevent dry skin (and dry hair and dry eyes and vaginal dryness…).   It maintains collagen and elasticity to prevent wrinkling.  It also helps to maintain the thickness of the skin.  There are more estrogen receptors in the skin of the face than on other parts of the body, so declining estrogen levels cause more obvious changes on facial skin.  

Estrogen replacement has been shown to increase skin thickness and elasticity, improve collagen content in the skin, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  Some women actually choose to apply their topical estrogen cream on their face to maximize skin benefits.  Even if estrogen is not applied to the skin, women often notice improvements in their skin, including that healthy glow, when their estrogen levels are restored.  

Testosterone can cause skin problems when it is too low OR too high! 

When testosterone levels are low in older men and women,  skin tends to become thinner, and wound healing is impaired.  Testosterone adds some oil to the skin, and this can be helpful in aging skin which tends to be dry.

On the other hand, excess testosterone or DHEA can cause excessively oily skin and acne breakouts, as well as excess hair growth.  

Progesterone has been found to help maintain skin thickness and elasticity, and helps to maintain scalp hair growth.  It also helps to reduce the negative effects of testosterone on the skin, so a lack of progesterone can exacerbate the effects of excess testosterone.

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is often associated with skin dryness as a result of decreased sweating and reduced sebum production.  Many other factors may be seen with low thyroid:  pale skin color, dry bumps on the upper arms, puffiness around the eyes, scalp hair loss, loss of the outer third of the eyebrow,  dry and brittle hair.   

Cortisol is your main stress hormone.  Stress has been associated with skin problems such as acne breakouts.  Since cortisol regulates your immune system, stress can exacerbate rashes such as psoriasis and eczema, which are due to immune system problems.  There is actually a new area of study called psychodermatology looking at the links between skin health and emotional stressors. 

As you can see, there are many ways in which hormones affect your complexion.  If you want healthy, glowing skin then proper hormonal balance is important!

If you are having skin issues and feel that hormones may be part of the problem, please give us a call!  704-752-9346 or email us at questions@signaturewellness.org.  You can find more information at www.signaturewellness.org

Could you be in perimenopause?

Before you go through menopause, there is a period of time (up to 10 years!) where things start to change. The changes can be subtle or not so subtle. We call this phase of life "perimenopause", and it can be one of the most difficult transitions in a women’s life. Sadly, some women are told to tough it out and that it will pass. And often women are told that they are too young to be in perimenopause.

Addressing the hormonal symptoms of perimenopause can dramatically improve quality of life for many women. Lets talk about what is going on.

While estrogen levels start to decline around the time of menopause (average age of menopause is 52), progesterone levels start to decline much earlier.  In fact a your progesterone production may decline by as much as 80% between age 30 and 40.  This is one of the reasons that women in their forties have a harder time getting pregnant.

Progesterone is produced in two main places in your body. It is produced in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands. The majority of progesterone is produced in the ovaries after ovulation.  It helps to prepare the uterine lining in case of a pregnancy and is very important throughout pregnancy (it is “pro-gestational”).  

When a woman is in the second half of her monthly cycle, she is producing between 20 and 25 mg of progesterone a day. During pregnancy, production of progesterone spikes to between 300 and 400 mg per day.

When progesterone levels start to decline because of age, and symptoms of hormone imbalance become noticeable, we call this “perimenopause”.  

Progesterone deficiency is the most common hormonal problem we see in peri-menopausal women, but younger women can have this problem as well.  Because progesterone levels naturally vary over the menstrual cycle, the symptoms vary as well.  

Typically the week after a period is a “good” week; you are eating your broccoli, exercising regularly, and cleaning out your closets.  Then as you get closer to your period,  symptoms get worse and worse including irritability, anxiousness, and interrupted sleep.   You may feel more negative, critical, impatient, and easily frustrated - and this can affect how you behave towards your family and co-workers!

In fact, this variation in symptoms is a big clue that hormones are the problem.  If your mood symptoms or insomnia are exactly the same on every day in your cycle, it is less likely that hormones are the cause.

Progesterone has mainly been studied for its effects on the uterus but it turns out that progesterone has far more roles to play.  Women have progesterone receptors on cells in all parts of our bodies, and surprisingly the cells with the most progesterone receptors are our brain cells.  Anyone who has experienced PMS symptoms with mood swings and irritability may not be surprised after all!  

Research is showing that progesterone has important neurological effects.   It acts as a natural anti-anxiety compound, helps with sleep and is calming - sort of like nature’s version of valium or a glass of red wine.

Here is a checklist of symptoms that you may experience if you progesterone levels are declining:

Insomnia (especially wakening in the night)

Night sweats

Anxiety

Irritability

Mood swings

Weight gain

Increased PMS

Pre-menstrual headaches

Heavier periods

Shorter cycles (periods coming less than 28 days apart)

If this sounds like you, please know that there is help! You can feel like YOU again.

You can find more information at our website www.signaturewellness.org or contact the office at 704-752-9346

Yours in health

DrM

How to have younger looking skin

You know the basics for promoting healthy skin.  A “whole foods” diet (as opposed to processed foods), rich in a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables is the basis of overall health, and skin health is no exception.   Staying hydrated is important.   Exercise improves blood flow to the skin, and helps maintain skin health.  

Avoiding sun damage is critical.  Some sun exposure is important to make sure you are getting vitamin D (which is also good for skin health!), but sun damage can be prevented by wearing a hat and a non-toxic sunscreen.

Did you know that hormonal balance is also important to skin health?  A medical study found that women with the lowest estrogen levels looked 8 years older than their actual age, and women with higher estrogen levels looked 8 years younger than their age (that is a 16 year differential!).  Estrogen helps maintain collagen production in your skin, which helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and it helps your skin remain hydrated.  You may notice that your skin “glows” when you are hormonally balanced.

Significant changes occur in your skin during menopause, including thinner skin, increased wrinkling, skin dryness, and loss of elasticity and firmness of your skin.    Skin thickness has been found to decrease by 1.5% per year after menopause, and collagen content can be reduced by as much as 30% within 5 years of menopause.  These skin changes appear to be more closely related to length of time that you have been estrogen deficiency than to your actual chronological age.  (In other words, the longer you have been without estrogen, the older you look!)

Hormone replacement has been shown in a number of studies to help improve hydration of the skin, maintain skin thickness and elasticity, improve blood flow to the skin and increase collagen production. 

In one study, estrogen replacement resulted in a measurable increase in skin thickness after only 2 weeks of applying topical estrogen.  Another study found that skin thickness was increased by 30% after 12 months of estrogen therapy.

A large study showed reduced wrinkling in postmenopausal women on estrogen replacement.    Another study of women on hormone replacement found less wrinkles in the estrogen treated group compared with women on no hormones.  

Estrogen has also been shown to speed up wound healing and offer some protection against photoaging (sun damage).  

Estrogen is good for your heart, your bones, your brain and also your skin!

Apart from maintaining your hormone balance, there are a number of aesthetic treatments that can help you to look as young as you feel!  

SkinPen treatments are ideal if you want to treat fine wrinkles, acne scars,   or sun damage.  A small device contains tiny surgical-grade needles that produces microscopic punctures in your skin.  This stimulates the production of collagen and elastin which give your skin a more youthful appearance. It mimics what a laser treatment does, but without the discomfort or downtime. 

And have you heard about PRP (platelet rich plasma) to rejuvenate the skin?  PRP is obtained from your own blood - it is the fraction of your blood which contains growth factors.  It is injected into your skin, where it activates your own stem cells to stimulate growth of collagen, blood vessels and nerve fibers.  We are harnessing your own innate healing potential to create younger looking skin! 

If you are interested in learning more about how to have younger looking skin,  please visit our website at www.signaturewellness.org.  Or you may contact us at questions@signaturewellness.org, or call at 704-752-9346.   

Yours in health, 

DrM

The most important nutritional factor in healthy aging

Fat used to be the bad guy, but recently carbs have become the dietary villain.  Low carb diets have convincingly shown more benefit than low fat diets for weight loss . But WHAT KIND of carbs we are talking about matters a lot.  A doughnut is a carb, but so is broccoli! 

In an effort to reduce the starchy carbs in our diet (which is a a good thing to do!) we need to be careful that we don't end up eating less fiber.  

A recent Australian study looked at 1,600 adults aged 50 years and older and evaluated their dietary risks for long-term sensory loss and systemic diseases, related to their carbohydrate consumption. Out of all the factors they evaluated,  including total carbohydrate intake, total fiber intake, glycemic index, glycemic load, and sugar intake - fiber intake resulted in the biggest difference in "successful aging.  

"Essentially, we found that those who had the highest intake of fiber or total fiber actually had an almost 80 percent greater likelihood of living a long and healthy life over a 10-year follow-up. That is, they were less likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes, dementia, depression, and functional disability."

Here are a few possible reasons behind these important findings.   

1. Bowel regularity.    Insoluble fiber helps to keep you regular by "sweeping out" your colon.  Having regular bowel movements is an important part of detoxification.  We are all exposed to environmental chemicals and natural waste compounds from our own bodies that we need to eliminate.  Many of these compounds are excreted into the digestive tract.  If you aren't moving your bowels regularly, there is a greater opportunity for these compounds to be reabsorbed and result in increase health risks.

2.  Stable blood sugar levels.  Fiber in your meal also helps to slow the rate that your blood sugar rises as you digest your meal.  A slower rise in blood sugar is healthier - it allows the body to make an appropriate amount of insulin to handle the sugar load.  A meal high in sugar or refined carbohydrates (like white bread) and low in fiber results in a rapid spike in blood sugar and the body has to scramble to gain control over the metabolic situation.  Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.

3.  Prebiotics.  You have probably heard that the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract is very important to your health and disease prevention.  Probiotics are the healthy bacteria (for example found in yogurt) that you need to stay well.  Have you heard of Prebiotics?  This is the food source for the probiotics!  It is not enough to simply take a probiotic supplement - you need to nourish your gut bacteria by feeding them plenty of prebiotics.  And can you guess what your probiotic bacteria eat?  Fiber, of course!  So a diet rich in fiber is a diet rich in prebiotics, which help to nourish your healthy gut bacteria.

4.  Healthy cholesterol levels.  Soluble fiber does not dissolve in water (think about how oatmeal becomes gelatinous when you mix it with water).  Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol and helps you to clear it from your system.  We know that the actual AMOUNT of cholesterol is not really what is important - it matters much more whether or not the cholesterol is inflamed or oxidized.  But eating enough soluble fiber helps to maintain cholesterol levels in the normal range.  

5.  Estrogen metabolism.  Another factor to consider is the very important role that fiber plays in hormonal balance, and this is important in women AND men.  Each day you excrete estrogen into your digestive tract to clear it from your system (whether you made the estrogen in your own body or whether you are on estrogen replacement or birth control pills).  The insoluble fiber in your diet helps to keep you regular so you can excrete estrogen.  Soluble fiber helps carry estrogen out in your stool, and helps prevent it from being reabsorbed into the blood stream.  This makes sense when you remember that many of your hormones (including estrogen) are made from cholesterol!  So just as fiber is important for lowering your cholesterol, it is also important for clearing estrogen.  

This is especially important in women who have "estrogen dominance" with symptoms like heavy periods, PMS symptoms, breast tenderness, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, fibroids, fibrocystic breast disease, or ovarian cysts.  Estrogen dominance is a risk factor for breast cancer, and a high fiber diet can help reduce the risks (we have lots of research to support this).  Too much estrogen is also a risk factor for prostate cancer.  As men age, they often convert more of their testosterone into estrogen, and an increase in fiber can help minimize the amount of estrogen that accumulates.

How much fiber do you need?  Many studies have looked at a goal of 30gram of fiber per day.  One challenge in trying to achieve this goal is that I typically recommend eating "whole" foods that do not come in a package (and therefore don't have a label to tell you how many grams of fiber per serving).   But here are some foods that are good sources of fiber, especially soluble fiber which is the best for balancing hormones.  

Fruits including citrus fruit, berries, apples, apricots, dates, prunes, and pears.  
Vegetables including asparagus, brussels sprouts, squash, zucchini, broccoli and root veggies like carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes.  
Legumes including lentils, chickpeas and pinto beans
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
Seeds like ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, raw pumpkin seeds

While you are eating these terrific foods to make sure you get enough fiber, you will also be benefitting from the antioxidant vitamins, trace minerals and abundant "phytonutrients" (plant compounds) that will help keep you heathy.  Perhaps higher fiber intake was not the only reason the people in the study had reduced rates of disease - it may have been because fiber tends to come packaged by nature along with the other important nutrients you need to stay well!  So eat more fiber today to help maximize your chances for a healthy tomorrow.  

For more information on healthy hormone balance and healthy aging, please see our website www.signaturewellness.org or contact the office at 704-752-9346 or questions@signaturewellness.org

Yours in health,

DrM


1.  Association Between Carbohydrate Nutrition and Successful Aging Over 10 Years. The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2016

2.  High fiber diet reduces serum estrogen concentrations in premenopausal women.  American Society of Clinical Nutrition.  1991

P.S.:  New testing allows us to measure your estrogen metabolites.  Would you like to know whether you are metabolizing estrogen in a way that increases your breast cancer risk (and then do something to correct the problem?)  Please contact the office for more information.  The test is $200 and is not covered by health insurance.  

Is Estrogen Replacement Safe?

In July 2002, the well publicized Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study suggested increased rates of heart disease, strokes and breast cancer in women on hormone replacement therapy.  Naturally women and their doctors were fearful of the risks, and in the next 10 years hormone replacement use dropped by 79 percent.  Newer studies are showing that warning women off hormones was a mistake.  We know that estrogen and other sex hormones are vital for many functions in a woman's body.  

A study done by doctors at Yale and published in the American Journal of Public Heath, Sept 2013, evaluated the result of this widespread reduction in hormone use.  According to their calculations, estrogen AVOIDANCE may have led to as many as 90,000 preventable deaths.  The study found that estrogen therapy (ET) was actually associated with a REDUCTION in deaths from heart attacks and breast cancer.   According to the authors:  “Estrogen therapy in younger postmenopausal women is associated with a decisive reduction in all-cause mortality” 

A new study supports this.  Almost half a million women in Finland were followed over 15 years, and the results show that the longer the women were on estrogen replacement, the lower their risks for heart disease and strokes.  In fact, all cause mortality (meaning death from ANY cause, including breast cancer) was reduced by up to 30%.

There is no need to suffer with symptoms of menopause due to fear of side effects of hormone replacement. Your individual risks are related to many factors including your age, whether you are using bio-identical or synthetic hormones and the delivery method of the hormones (for examples pills vs topical estrogen).  Please ask us about your personal risks and the potential benefits, including improved memory, energy, mood, sleep and even younger looking skin.   Click here for more information.

Why is estrogen important for women?

Lets talk about the benefits of estrogen.  It has literally hundreds of roles in a woman's body!

Estrogen helps to protect your heart.  When you are premenopausal, your risk of a heart attack is significantly less than a man’s risk.  But after menopause, when estrogen levels drop, the risks become equal.   

It also helps to keep your tissues hydrated.  Without estrogen you can become dry:  dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, dry hair, dry vagina……

Bone health also depends on hormones, and estrogen in particular helps to prevent bone loss.  While this may not be something you are particularly worried about right now, it should be!  If you have a broken hip because of osteoporosis, there is a good chance that you will end up in assisted living. Preventing bone loss now is very important for your future mobility and independence.  

Something you may be very concerned about right now is how old you look!  Estrogen affects skin health - it helps to provide hydration and blood flow to keep that youthful glow to your skin,  and it maintains collagen to provide elasticity, which helps to minimize fine lines and wrinkles.  You may notice your skin aging rapidly as you go through the menopause.  One research study found that women with higher estrogen levels looked on average 8 years YOUNGER than women with low estrogen levels! 

Arguably the most important role of estrogen is on brain health.  Estrogen is energizing to the brain, so if estrogen levels are low you may feel more tired.  It is also important for quality of sleep, and obviously you have to be able to sleep to have good energy!

Estrogen is a natural anti-depressant in women.  It is needed to activate serotonin receptors in your brain, and serotonin is the natural brain chemical responsible for peace and joy, so obviously you want that!  If your estrogen levels are low, you may feel more flat, anxious or unmotivated.   You may be prescribed an anti-depressant medication to try to boost serotonin levels (like Prozac, Celexa, or Zoloft for example), but if you can normalize your estrogen levels,  your mood may improve without the need for medication.

There is a very important relationship between estrogen and memory.   If your estrogen level drops you may find yourself forgetting names, why you walked into the room or where you left the car keys.  It can be alarming and you may even worry that you are experiencing the early stages of Alzheimers!  Fortunately in many cases your memory can improve significantly with restoration of normal estrogen levels.  

Did you know that the average woman gains 20 pounds as she goes through menopause?  Estrogen deficiency can cause you to pack on the pounds, even if you haven't changed your diet or exercise. Of course, if you are tired, unmotivated and not sleeping well you may be finding it more difficulty to maintain healthy lifestyle habits!

As you can see, estrogen is very important for how you feel, how you look and how you will age. 

If you are interested in learning more about estrogen and whether estrogen replacement may be a good idea for you, click here.  If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to talk with us about your personal situation, please call 704-752-9346.  

Why is hormone pellet therapy so popular?

Hormone loss is associated with many problems including heart disease, osteoporosis, memory loss, loss of muscle mass, lack of sex drive, mood changes, weight gain and aging skin. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has been show to have benefits such as improving mood, energy, sleep, memory, sexual function, muscle strength and body composition.

When I started my practice in 2007, I prescribed mainly topical bio-identical hormone creams. This approach allowed me to prescribe the appropriate mixture of hormones based on a patient's individual needs, and worked well in many people - but not all patients had optimal results. Currently, my most preferred way to replace hormones has become bio-identical hormone pellet therapy.  

Hormone pellets are smaller than a grain of rice and contain a natural plant source of estrogen and/or testosterone (based on a patient's needs). They are inserted under the skin of the buttock in a simple, painless office procedure. The pellets are gradually dissolved by the body, and a small, physiologic dose of hormone is released at a steady rate into the bloodstream.  

The pellets allow rapid resolution of hormone deficiency symptoms - sometimes within 48 hours!  The convenience is very popular - the pellets are inserted approximately once every 3-4 months and result in very consistent hormone levels and relief of symptoms.

Hormone pellet implants have consistently been shown to improve many common symptoms in men and women including:

- insomnia
- fatigue
- lack of libido
- hot flashes
- palpitations
- headaches (especially premenstrual or hormonal migraines)
- irritability
- depression
- anxiety
- memory loss
- incontinence
- aches and pains
- vaginal dryness

This treatment seems "new" but in fact hormone replacement by pellet implantation has been used with great success in the United States, Europe and Australia since 1938! Pellets deliver consistent, physiologic levels of hormones and avoid the fluctuations of hormone levels seen with other methods of delivery, like the topical creams.

Hormones delivered by pellet therapy bypass the liver, do not affect clotting factors and do not increase the risk of blood clots which is a risk with estrogen pills and synthetic progestin pills.

Pellet therapy has been shown to be superior to oral and topical hormone therapy with respect to relief of menopausal symptoms. This is why they have become the most popular method of bio-identical hormone replacement in my practice - women are finding better results! 

Hormone replacement with estrogen and testosterone pellets have been shown to be better than oral and topical hormones for bone health. The pellets not only prevent bone loss but have been shown in many studies to actually increase bone density.

Pellets do not have the same risk of breast cancer as synthetic hormone replacement pills.  In fact, studies show there may be a reduction in the incidence of breast cancer with pellet therapy. In a study on breast cancer survivors, hormone pellet implantation did not increase the risk of cancer recurrence or death as does estrogen in combination with synthetic progestins.

There are many options for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy including topical creams and patches, pills, vaginal creams, sublingual lozenges and pellet therapy. A thorough discussion of the options is important for each woman. Please click here if you are interested in learning more about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Yours in health

Deborah Matthew MD

References:

Beneficial effects of testosterone therapy in women measured by the validated Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) Glaser R, York AE, Dimitrakakis C. Maturitas. 20011;68:355-361

Testosterone, delivered by subcutaneous pellet implant has been shown to improve hot flashes, heart discomfort, sleep problems, depressive mood, irritability, anxiety, physical fatigue, memory loss, migraine headaches, sexual problems, bladder problems (incontinence), vaginal dryness, joint and muscular discomfort in both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal patients without adverse drug events 

Moderate dosage estrogen–androgen therapy improves continuation rates in postmenopausal women: impact of the WHI reports Gambrell and Natrajan CLIMACTERIC 2006;9:224–233

Long-term studies with up to 30 years follow up, confirm the safety of testosterone therapy and absence of adverse drug events with the pellet implant.   No increase of breast cancer even after 20 years of hormone pellet therapy

Skeletal effects of oral oestrogen compared with subcutaneous oestrogen and testosterone in postmenopausal women.  Savvas et al.  British Medical Journal 1988  Jul 30;297(6644): 331-333

Subcutaneous oestrogen is more effective than oral oestrogen in preventing osteoporosis, probably owing to the more physiological (premenopausal) serum oestradiol concentrations achieved.

Reduced breast cancer incidence in women treated with subcutaneous testosterone, or testosterone with anastrozole:  a prospective, observational study.  Glaser et al.  Maturitas 2013 Dec;76(4):342-9

Testosterone and/or testosterone+anastrozole, delivered subcutaneously as a pellet implant, reduced the incidence of breast cancer in pre and postmenopausal women.

The libido hormone - why women need testosterone too!

Ladies are you lacking motivation?  No energy?  Losing muscle mass?  Skin looking saggy?  Lost that lovin' feeling?

You could be deficient in testosterone!

We think of testosterone as the "male" hormone, but women have testosterone too and it is really important!  Testosterone acts like our "inner strength".  It gives us competitive drive, motivation, assertiveness, self esteem, decisiveness and confidence.  If testosterone levels decline, we notice a change in how we feel.

Testosterone also affects everything to do with sex including interest, lubrication, and ability to become aroused.

I see testosterone deficiency in women starting at age 35-40,  long before menopause.  Sometimes this is due to use of birth control pills, or high stress levels, and often it is just due to the aging process - by age 40 our testosterone levels may be reduced by half.

Restoring testosterone can help with quality of sleep, energy, mood, strength and endurance, skin tone, muscle tone and shape, and can have marked improvements on sexual function.

Other things that can improve with testosterone restoration are PMS symptoms, menstrual migraines, aches and pain, hot flashes, incontinence, vaginal dryness, palpitations and bone density. Testosterone is very important in improving bone strength to prevent fractures.

There are even some reports that suggest testosterone may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Testosterone is available as a topical cream, a sublingual troche (dissoved under the tongue) or as a pellet (which is implanted under the skin).  The pellets are by far the most popular in my practice and have the best symptomatic benefit.  They have been used in the United States since 1938 and have a long track record of safety and effectiveness.

The risks of testosterone replacement are mainly nuisance symptoms like excess hair growth or some pimples, as opposed to serious risks, and these problems go away if the dose is reduced or testosterone is discontinued.  Women who already have these problems are the most likely to experience these side effects.

Testosterone replacement can have a very large impact on a women's life, her marriage, her work performance, and overall wellbeing.  It has been very satisfying to be able to help women get back to feeling like themselves again.

If you would like more info about testosterone replacement and whether it may be right for you, please click here.

Yours in health

Deborah Matthew MD

0. Reference:  Glaser R, York AE, Dimitrakakis C. Beneficial effects of testosterone therapy in women measured by the validated Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Maturitas. 20011;68:355-361. 
   

Women with low estrogen look older

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet found that women with low estrogen look significantly older than women the same age with more optimal levels of estrogen

Low estrogen levels are associated with loss of collagen and moisture content of skin, which leads to increased facial wrinkling.

In this study, independent reviewers estimated the ages of 100 women. The women’s estimated age was then compared to their real age and their estrogen level
. The women in the study were between 35-55 years of age. The reviewers estimated the women with low estrogen to be significantly older than their age and those with more optimal estrogen levels to be much younger than their age.
 The women with the lowest level of estrogen looked 8 years older than their age and those with the most optimal levels looked 8 years younger than their age (a 16 year differential).


According to the authors, “The age of women with low estradiol serum concentrations was systematically overestimated; with increasing serum estrogen levels the reverse was the case. Women with high estrogen concentrations looked younger, women with low estradiol concentrations older than they really were. The discrepancy between estimated and real age could be as high as 8 years in either direction [16 year differential]. These data suggest that serum estrogen concentrations have a pronounced impact on the estimation of age.”


Lancet. 1999 Jul 17;354(9174):224.
Oestrogen and age estimations of perimenopausal women.
Wildt L, Sir-Petermann T.

Bio-identical hormones improve bone density

A 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 290:1042-1048) studied whether hormone replacement at low doses would be effective at maintaining bone mineral density. Lower doses are desirable as higher doses are associated with more adverse events. Bio-identical hormones were used in this study (hormones that are an exact chemical match to human hormones).

This was a “gold standard” double-blind, placebo controlled trial done at an American university research center from 1998-2002, following 167 healthy women 65 years and older.

The bone mineral density of the hip, spine, wrist, and total body was measured annually for 3 years. Mean bone mineral density increased at all sites for participants taking low-dose bio-identical hormone replacement (BHRT) compared with placebo . There were no statistically significant differences in breast tenderness, changes in uterine thickness, or annual mammographic results between women on BHRT and the placebo group. There were no reports of breast cancer during the study.

For more information visit http://www.signaturewellness.org