Medical literature reveals bioidentical hormones provide superior cardiovascular benefits over synthetic HRT while reducing the risk of breast cancer.

Significant controversy over the safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has given both physicians and patients pause when treating symptoms of menopause, perimenopause and post-menopause. While synthetic forms of HRT such as Premarin, Provera and Prempro present real health risks with increased risks of breast cancer, stroke and heart attack, the most comprehensive analysis to date published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, a leading peer-reviewed publication for practicing clinicians, showed that  non-synthetic or bioidentical HRT are associated with reduced health risks and are more efficacious than their synthetic counterparts. Conducted by a leading expert in hormone replacement, Kent Holtorf, M.D., medical director of the Holtorf Medical Group Center for Hormone Imbalance, Hypothyroidism and Fatigue, in Torrance, California, the paper reviewed and evaluated results from more than 200 physiological and clinical studies.

“A thorough review of the medical literature clearly supports the claim that bioidentical hormones have some distinctly different, often opposite, physiological effects to those of their synthetic counterparts,” said Dr. Holtorf whose practice treats more than 7,000 patients each year. “Medical literature demonstrates that bioidentical hormones are highly effective and carry a reduced rather than an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

The review also showed that patients taking bioidentical HRT were less likely to experience sleep problems, anxiety, depression and cognitive effects – common side effects of synthetic HRT.

 “While larger, randomized clinical studies are needed, the review of current medical literature demonstrates that bioidentical hormones are a safer, highly effective option for women and should be physicians’ preferable method of HRT,” said Dr. Holtorf.