Thursday, June 27, 2013
I thought my eyes would drop out onto the table when I watched the CBS interview yesterday between Charlie Rose, Norma O?Donnell and Dr. Sue Decotiis, a hormone replacement specialist at the New York University. Bravo Dr. Decotiis! I loved her intelligent comments regarding a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adding to the hot debate surrounding the efficacy of traditional HRT (horse urine derived hormones) or plant-based, bio-identical Hormone Replacement therapy or BHRT. The study of 1,326 women taking synthetic hormones over seven years found no risk to cognitive functions for women 50-55, and some cognitive decline for women 65 and older. According to Dr Decotiis, ?The study used products that are old – conjugated equine estrogens, derived from the urine of a horse. … They were first used in the 1940s, and according to Decotiis, ?I?m certainly no longer using them in my practice. She said she’s “not really” a fan of this study because they used something other than natural human estrogen known as Beta-Estradiol. “They’re not using the right product,” she said. “It’s sort of like using the wrong key to get in your apartment. You’re not going to get in. You’re not going to get the right answers. We have to use the hormones that our body relates to.” In the CBS interview when asked if she represents the majority or the minority opinion in the medical community, Decotiis said, “I think that the medical community, if they really look at these studies, will probably agree, that if you look carefully, you can’t lump all of these hormones together in one category. But I think we have to explain to the people, that you can’t put all the hormones into one category because they’re very different structurally.” When I was offered horse urine-derived hormones when I hit menopause in my 50?s, I declined. I wasn?t a horse so how could hormones from a horse help me? And to top that off, a former president of the American Menopause Society, Wulf Utian a few years ago made the brilliant suggestion that every woman needed 13 essential equine hormones to help with menopause symptoms. Really? First he?s a man and what would he know about hormones, second his first name is Wulf (no offense to the nice men in the world named Wolf or Wulf) and third, women are not horses, so why would we want horse urine hormones! Hence the backlash against traditional, synthetic HRT and the unstoppable interest in plant-based BHRT. Seems there could be some big bucks around this recent study. Hang on to your hormones girls! Do all that you can to make sure our natural, plant-based hormones continue to be available and bravo to Dr. Sue Decotiis ? a small, but clear voice of reason as we navigate the hormone maze while doing our best to stay ahead of the hands of time.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57590864/new-study-just-adds-to-hormone-replacement-therapy-debate/