Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is any practice of hormone therapy in which the patient, during medical treatment, takes hormones, either to substitute hormones for naturally occurring hormones or to supplement a lack of naturally occurring hormones. Typical forms of hormone replacement therapy include:
- Menopausal hormone therapy – based on the fact that the treatment can prevent discomfort triggered by diminished progesterone hormones and circulating estrogen, or in the case of the prematurely or surgically menopausal, which may decrease the incidence of dementia and may prolong life 1 . It includes the usage of one or more medications created to artificially boost hormone levels. The types of hormones included are estrogen, progesterone, or progestins, and at times, testosterone. It’s usually referred to as “treatment” instead of therapy.
- Transgender hormone therapy – includes hormones linked to the gender that the patient identifies with (estrogen for transgender women and testosterone for transgender men). Intersex individuals may receive HRT, as well. Cross-sex hormone treatment for transgender people is divided into 2 general types: masculinizing hormone therapy and feminizing hormone therapy.
- Androgen replacement therapy (ergogenic and andropausal use) – a hormone treatment usually prescribed to counter the effects of “andropause” or male hypogonadism. Moreover, it is prescribed to delay the onset or reduce the effects of typical male aging, too. Furthermore, androgen replacement therapy is used for males who have lost the testicular function to a certain illness, cancer, or some other causes 2 .
Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Today, hormone replacement therapy is mostly used to relieve menopause symptoms. The main benefit of hormone replacement therapy is that it could help relieve many menopausal symptoms, as night sweats, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and reduced sex drive.
Most of the menopausal symptoms pass in a few years, however, they can be really unpleasant and hormone replacement therapy can offer a great relief for a lot of women. Furthermore, it can also help prevent osteoporosis (weakening of bones) that is very common issues after menopause.
How to Get Started on Hormone Replacement Therapy
If you’re interested in starting hormone replacement therapy, you should speak to your GP. It may take a few weeks to feel the benefits of treatment and there might be certain side effects at first. Your GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps.
Click on the following link to find qualified HRT professionals that will explain the different types of hormone replacement therapy available, offer you the best medical treatments for HRT, and help you choose one that is suitable for you: www.hgh.biz/ (Wellness MGT corp.®)
Safety
Menopausal hormone therapy is safe, but it may not be suitable if the woman has:
- a history of blood clots
- untreated high blood pressure (the blood pressure must be controlled before starting HRT)
- a history of ovarian, womb, or breast cancer
- liver disease
- is pregnant (it is still possible to get pregnant while on hormone replacement therapy, so you need to use contraception until 2 years after the last period if you are under the age of 50 or for 1 year after the age of 50)
In the above-mentioned conditions, alternatives to hormone replacement therapy may be recommended instead.
Transgender hormone therapy in the medical literature has been shown to be safe, of course, when managed by a qualified medical professional. 3
You should be careful if considering androgen replacement therapy. According to the evidence in the February 2014 Harvard Men’s Health Watch, men who take testosterone have more cardiovascular problems, such as strokes, heart attacks, and deaths from heart disease. Moreover, there is a lingering concern that testosterone therapy may stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. 4
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specified that neither the safety nor the benefits of testosterone have been proven for low testosterone levels as a result of aging. 5 The FDA has required that all testosterone labels contain warning info about the possibilities of increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.
Conclusion:
Nowadays, there are numerous ways to boost levels of the growth hormone. Generally, this includes healthy lifestyle, regular sleep, good nutrition and diet, physical activities, etc. Nevertheless, the most effective way is still to directly upsurge the amount of human growth hormone that can be artificially introduced to the human body.