These are questions that many women seek answers to when they go through perimenopause and menopause. Starting in your mid 30’s, hormone levels begin to fluctuate and decline. Weight gain, fatigue, mental fog and loss of sex drive are just a few of the symptoms that become more significant with hormone imbalance.

Symptoms are the most common reason people are started on hormones. However, the real reason that hormones are prescribed is for protection. As we age, there is increased risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke), bone loss (osteoporosis), metabolic dysfunction (insulin resistance) and immune system dysfunction (increased susceptibility to malignancy). Lack of hormones is a big part of why we age and become more susceptible to disease.

Hormone levels that reduce symptoms are not necessarily the levels needed for protection. Two questions then arise: what are optimal levels and how do you know if your hormone levels are protecting you?

A hormone regimen needs to be carefully considered and prescribed on an individual basis. Each person has their own unique health puzzle and the hormone piece that fits into it is unique to them. It is important that a comprehensive workup be done to determine the optimal hormone regimen for your body.

Optimal levels are not the same as the reference range on your labs. Optimal levels are determined by a combination of factors. There are specific levels that are attained that research has shown to provide benefit and protection. Another way to tell if your levels are optimal is by changes in cholesterol and blood sugar control, body composition (loss of visceral fat, increased lean muscle), bone metabolism markers, etc. And finally, how you feel is a strong indicator that your hormone levels are optimized. Better mood, sleep, libido, stamina, focus and concentration, sense of well-being, etc., are achieved when your hormones are balanced and optimized.

There are significant benefits to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Decades of research has proven the many benefits of hormones. More recent studies show the powerful synergistic effects of a balanced hormone regimen.