The Women’s Health Initiative

The Women’s Health Initiative was designed to define the risks and benefits of using synthetic hormone therapy to potentially prevent heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

It is important to note that the women in this study were all postmenopausal, average age of sixty-eight. This fact is significant as most of these women had 15 years since the loss of their hormones to develop diseases that estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone might have prevented.

The fact that the study used synthetic hormones and not the natural bioidentical hormones should not be overlooked as well. Synthetic hormones are not natural to the human body. The action of synthetic hormones is different than those of natural human hormones, as the synthetic hormones bind to the cell receptors more tightly, causing prolonged stimulation. The synthetic hormones are difficult to get out of your system. Finally, these synthetic hormones act as toxins in the body because they are not metabolized the same way human “bioidentical” hormones are metabolized. There is a great deal of scientific and biochemical research which shows how differently synthetic hormones act in the body as compared to natural bioidentical hormones.

Finally, women who had symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes and night sweats) were dissuaded from entering the study. These are the women most likely in the greatest need and those likely to receive the greatest benefit from hormone therapy.

Increased Risk of Heart Disease

There was a significant increase in heart attacks in the first year of the study in women using either Premarin or Prempro (Premarin plus Provera) yet a smaller non-significant increase in heart attacks in the following years. Heart disease actually increased in the placebo group by year 6, as compared to the group treated with hormone therapy, leading to the apparent protective effect of hormone therapy.

Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

The study was divided into three groups: One receiving nothing (placebo), one group receiving Premarin (horse estrogen), and the last group receiving Prempro (Premarin plus Provera, the synthetic progesterone). When comparing the women who received no hormone therapy to the women receiving Premarin (horse estrogen) alone, there was actually a decrease (although not significant) in breast cancer. It is only when adding the synthetic progestin Provera that we saw an increase in breast cancers when compared to those women who received no hormone therapy. Studies have revealed that natural progesterone, unlike synthetic progesterone, protects the breasts against cancer.

Increased Risk of Stroke and Blood Clots

It is known that when giving estrogens orally, the effect on the liver is to increase the proteins that clot your blood, thereby increasing your risk for blood clots and strokes. However, this effect is not seen with natural estrogens given in the cream form through the skin. This may be due to the fact that estrogen given as a cream does not have to pass through the liver to get into your system.

Decreased Risk of Osteoporosis

The WHI showed that women taking synthetic estrogens had a decreased risk of hip fractures. There are studies as well showing the positive effect of natural estrogens on the prevention of hip fractures and the treatment of osteoporosis.

BodyLogicMD physicians do not support the use of synthetic hormones and instead offers a natural alternative through bioidentical hormones. The highly trained physicians at BodyLogicMD only use natural bioidentical hormones. Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones or natural hormones are replicas of the body’s own natural hormones. They’re made from soy, yams and other plant extracts, which are changed in a lab to be biologically identical to the same hormones your body makes. For optimal results, BodyLogicMD physicians only supplement the hormones that are low, evaluates client’s symptoms and retests hormone levels regularly.

When our hormones are in balance, when we eat right and exercise, we are the healthiest, the most vital, and suffer the lowest amount of disease.