Bio-identical oestrogen has many benefits for long term health in post -menopausal women. The obvious reduction of hot flushes and night sweats together with better sleep at the beginning and during the menopause, as well as less anxiety and low mood. The oestrogen has to be balanced by the correct amount of natural progesterone.
Bio-identical oestrogen is most important in the first 5 years of the menopause, the so called window of opportunity, to slow down bone loss, reduce vaginal atrophy, help bladder control and most importantly benefit cardiovascular health.
List of ongoing benefits of bio-identical oestrogen:
- Reduces bone loss, helps to reduce the incidence of osteopaenia and osteoporosis.
- Slows down early atherosclerosis. (DOPS study)
- Reduces loss of collagen.
- Improves skin and hair condition.
- Improves urogenital atrophy. Reduces nocturia and stress incontinence, if used systemically or topically.
- Positive effect on muscle repair.
- Maintains intervertebral disc height.
- Together with testosterone, bio-identical oestrogen may improve verbal memory.
Transdermal bio-identical oestrogen avoids the first liver pass, as coagulation factors and the renin angiotensin aldosterone cascade are not activated. The percentage of 17b oestradiol, in the compounded bio-identical oestrogen may be 100% or less depending on the patient’s condition and what the doctor and patient wish to achieve.
Oestrogen dominance is related to the ratio of oestrogen to progesterone in the body. During the menopause, oestrogen levels drop by 40% while progesterone levels drop by 90%.
Overweight people often have hormone imbalances, too much oestrogen and insulin, sometimes an underactive thyroid gland makes it difficult to lose fat until a hormone balance has been achieved.
Up regulation of aromatase will often increase fat deposition, promote metabolic syndrome, type 2-diabetes as well as breast and prostate cancer. Up regulation of aromatase can be caused by poor quality carbohydrate intake, illness, psychological stress, and exposure to Xeno-oestrogens, pesticides, benzenes and plastics. Also Leptins, inflammatory adipocytokines, increase circulating free fatty acids and oestradiol itself. All the above increase P450 aromatase activity to turbocharge endogenous intracellular oestradiol.
Different strengths of bio-identical oestrogen are compunded to suit each individual woman, often starting with the lowest dose, and increasing if necessary to reduce and eliminate symptoms.
Different routes of bio-identical administration are available from capsules to topical trans-dermal creams or sublingual preparations.