More Misinformation on Bioidentical Hormones

Dec. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- Recently, CBS News did an interview with Dr. Christina Matera entitled, "Bioidenticals no safer than other hormone replacement therapy." Although Dr Matera managed to get some of the information right, much of it is misinformation and drug company propaganda. (The video can be found at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bioidenticals-no-safer-than-other-hormone-replacement-therapy/ )

She points out that compounding pharmacies are not FDA regulated, which is true. What she extrapolates from that fact is that these pharmacies and the drugs that you get from them are not as safe as you get from a traditional pharmacy. This is totally untrue, compounding pharmacies are regulated at the state level instead of the federal. Hospital pharmacies are technically compounding pharmacies as well, they mix and combine drugs to customize what they deliver per the Doctor's orders.

Dr. Matera then goes into a discussion of the three different types of estrogen in the human body: 1) estadiol 2) estrone and 3) estriol

She goes on to say that estriol, which is commonly included in compounded hormone formulations, is only made in the placenta and, "why are we giving a placental estrogen to a menopausal women…. This is 'not natural'".

I would take issue with this attempt to disparage Estriol as unnatural.  It is very natural. Although Estriol is made by the placenta, it is also present in high concentration is the blood stream of all pre-menopausal women. Estriol circulates in the blood stream of all women at nearly 10 times the concentration of estrone and estradiol, so this omission by Dr Matera is really a piece of misinformation.

Not only is Estriol very “natural” it is also the safest of the three estrogens. Estriol has been used as the sole hormone for relief of menopausal symptoms, and found safe and effective in medical studies. Dr. Stefan Gold actually states that Estriol is the SAFEST of the three estrogens.

The great omission, of course, and my greatest objection to the  Dr. Christina Matera interview, is the silence regarding synthetic progestins such as Provera, chemical name medroxy progesterone, commonly used in the combination pill Provera, the discredited hormone pill used in the Women’s’ Health Initiative, terminated early due to increased cancer and heart disease.

So, when we declare that bioidentical hormones are safer, we are really talking about how bioidentical hormones are safer than synthetic progestins such as medroxyprogesterone, and other synthetic progestins (there are many).  This whole issue was carefully avoided by the Matera interview.

Bioidentical Hormones do not cause cancer or heart disease, while synthetic progestins do cause cancer and heart disease.  By omitting this information, Dr Matera has done a disservice to her listening audience and potentially harmed some women who actually took her seriously.

I would urge Dr Matera or any other physisicn to read the following article by Dr Neal Rouzier which explains why bioidentical hormones are safer than synthetic hormones such as Proempro and Provera. ( http://www.worldlinkmedical.com/blog/estrogen-and-breast-... )

Full article at http://jeffreydachmd.com/2013/11/misinformation-bioidenti...