If you’re like most menopausal or post-menopausal Northshore or Metro New Orleans women, you may be taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help manage your hormones.
But have you ever thought about how HRT solutions, both bioidentical and synthetic, may affect your heart health? With heart disease being the leading cause of death of women in the United States, learning about the link between HRT and heart health is extremely important.
Studies Are Showing Links Between HRT and Improved Heart Health
According to Women’s International Pharmacy, there are several studies that are showing a link between HRT and improved heart health in women. This is just one more reason to consider HRT while in menopause.
In one particular study published in the Journal of Endocrine Society, three bio-identical HRTs were studied, as well as 1 synthetic HRT, which were taken by women between the ages of 50 and 80.
After a 23-day long study, the participating women had their blood drawn to measure the following:
- Total cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – which is considered the “bad” cholesterol
- High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) – which is considered the “good” cholesterol
- Apolipoprotein B (Apo B)
- High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)
- Adiponectin
The study findings found that overall, the use of HRT during menopause resulted in improved heart health
What if Commercially-Available HRTs Aren’t Right for You?
While it’s clear that this study shows that HRT is a great combatant against the leading cause of death of American women, unfortunately, some women just can’t tolerate commercially-available HRT solutions made by big pharmaceutical companies.
HRTs created by the pharmaceutical industry are, generally speaking, a one-size-fits-all solution to managing hormones in menopause. But they don’t work for all women. Reasons that a commercially-available HRT may not work for you include:
- Unwanted side effects
- The HRT not having the correct amount of hormones for you (whether it be too much or too little)
- You’re not receiving all the proven benefits of HRT on a commercially-available solution
How You May Benefit from Compounded HRT
Women who, either don’t respond well to commercially-available HRT, or who have unwanted side effects may benefit from a compounded solution instead. Made specifically to your doctor’s unique prescription by licensed pharmacists – the same type of professionals who work at your neighborhood national chain drugstore – compounds are custom created to give you the exact amount of HRT your doctor knows you need.
Learning More About Compounding
While compounding is growing in popularity in the United States, we understand that some Northshore and Metro New Orleans women have never heard of compounding before. We’re here to help educate you.
Compounding is an alternative to taking commercially-available medications created by big pharmaceutical companies. In compounded HRTs, rather than having a one-size-fits-all amount of hormones, compounded solutions are specifically prescribed by your doctor. Therefore, every compound we make has a unique amount of hormones in it, all custom-specified for each of our patients.
Compounds are available in a variety of delivery methods. For HRTs, the right delivery method for you may be:
- Gels and creams, which are especially useful for women who have taken HRT pellets in the past and experienced unwanted hair loss
- Oral medications
- Injections
Contact Us to Learn More About Compounding for HRTs
Whether you want to learn more about the compounding process, or you’d like information to help talk to your doctor about this option, we’re happy to help. You can reach out to us by completing our online contact form, or calling us Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm at (985) 801-0800.