Friday, June 21, 2013

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Treatment Comes To Middle East


Menopause and andropause are unwanted visitors to all of us on reaching our forties and fifties. But we don't have to invite them in. Fifty million men are going through andropause, and fifty million women are going through menopause in the US alone and similar statistics are happening worldwide, whether we like it or not, we age largely because our hormones decline.

Hormone replacement treatment is widely regarded as the most effective way to replenish our hormones and steer our bodies away from menopausal and andropausal symptoms and thus slow down the onset of rapid aging. Until 2002, HRT was used confidently by millions worldwide but since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative trial in July 2002, many women and their healthcare professionals have been wary of synthetic hormones. This is where bioidentical hormone therapy comes into the picture. If hormones are the juice of life, then its good to know that we don't have to take the synthetic route. Who would want to for example take 20 horse estrogens when there is a natural, balanced and safe way to replacing our hormones now available in Dubai, UAE?

Bioidentical hormone therapy, BHRT, uses hormones manufactured from soy or yam oils. Their molecular structure is identical to hormones in our bodies. Anyone looking at them under a microscope would not be able to tell the difference. The term bioidentical is not a marketing term, but a descriptive term, describing the difference between bioidentical hormones and all others not produced by the body. Bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have a right to be called by those names because that is what they are. They are identical to the estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone found in our bodies.

However, any hormone replacement or management needs to be done under strict medical guidelines and previously in Dubai or anywhere in the Middle East many men and women were unable to find a licensed distributor in the region as a result they simply suffered the discomfort of andropause and menopause or looked further afield for bioidentical hormones.

As Dubai has grown to be a cosmopolitan and sophisticated world center, then so too has the approach to hormone treatment and age management.The good news is now we have complete licensed hormone replacement therapy for women and men available for the first time in GCC right here in Dubai. The process to achieve this was lengthy and the fact that the Ministry of Health awarded the licensing approval to open a compounding pharmacy is testament for having expertise in the field. For many this represents an enormous breakthrough made all the more reassuring because. The proactive approach to health and hormone management is widely respected and their three-step approach forms a pathway to renewed health and vitality. The three steps are simple:

Measure, Mentor, Monitor

STEP 1 MEASURE: By filling out the detailed "Hormone Imbalance" questionnaire, we have a very good idea which hormones you are deficient in. Where appropriate, blood work or saliva tests are used to determine hormone levels however, there is a strong belief that tests alone are not accurate enough to make a judgment. It is also important that all women are under the care of a physician so they can have their yearly breast exam and pelvic/Pap smear done.
Measure is done in 3 parts:

Part 1: Historical Assessment
Part 2: Physical Assessment
Part 3: Diagnostic Assessment

STEP 2 MENTOR: Institute provides accompanying modules on Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement and this together with the physician's advice helps you to understand more about your hormones and the program. You can picture your hormonal balance much like a "symphony orchestra", all players need to perform in an integrated balanced manner. Knowledge and wisdom are central to Bio-idential Hormone Replacement so you should consult your physician as many times as you need during the year if you have a problem or question.

STEP 3 MONITOR: For women there is a "Fine Tuning your Hormone" sheet that will help you get your hormones in the ideal zone. This may take a couple of months to perfect.

Monitoring of hormones is also done through saliva and blood tests but new medicine is quick to point out that it isn't the only means. Expert and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Graham Simpson M.D. points out "Urine, blood and saliva tests are not guaranteed to measure the concentration of the hormones in the cells. We believe in starting someone off on a program based on personalized assessments and tweaking as we go along. This has to be done by some one who is expert in their field that is an absolute must! Based in the heart of Dubai's fashionable Dubai Marina area. Simpson is confident and inspired about the future "The trend of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is here to stay. Hormones are the juice of life and those who know about BHRT know the difference it makes to their lives. It's also great for physicians in Dubai and the region as it will herald benefits both for their clients and their practices."

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