BHRT: For Men
BHRT is for both men and women. Men go through Andropause, the male menopause. Unlike menopause when there is a complete cessation of hormone production, men have a slow steady decline of critical hormones for up to 20 years. Some of the symptoms and signs men can suffer from are irritibility, depression, weight gain, decreased libido, muscle loss and an exercise plateau. Providing men the deficient hormones such as Testosterone, can help improve their health and well being as well as decrease the risk for future disease.
Testosterone therapy has been shown to help with sexual libido, exercise endurance, muscle mass, bone mass, osteoporosis, depression, focus, as well as improvement in diabetes and heart disease.
To learn more, read T ransform your Life |
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Dr. Patel's book, Your Guide To Optimal Health is a step by step method on how to slow down aging from the inside out. It is available online at Amazon.com as well as in our office for $14.95.
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Greetings! 
In January 09 Oprah discussed natural ways to help women slow down the aging process using bio-identical hormones. Bio-identical hormones (BHRT) are used for the time before, during and after menopause. Famous stars such as Suzanne Somers swear by them and from our experience at our Institute, the women (and men who use it for the male menopause, Andropause) look and feel great.
The Institute has been offering BHRT since it opened. We have always believed in a holistic approach to health and skin. We have devoted this issue to BHRT and common questions we get from our clients. As always, feel free to call 610.642.2644 or email us with any questions or to schedule your next appointment.
Sincerely,
Seema Patel, MD, MPH
Medical Director 
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Bio-Identical Hormones For Women
 BHRT has been used successfully to help women during perimenopause, menopause and post menopause for the past 25 years. Women begin to lose critical hormones at 30, about 1-3% per year. During Menopause, there is another immediate 10-15% decline women experience from the loss of their period. This means that by the time a woman reaches menopause, she may have lost about 30-60% of her normal hormone production. With this loss, she can experience hot flashes, mood swings, depression, weakness, decreased libido, headaches, insomnia as well as increase her risk for every chronic disease that afflicts the elderly such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and weight gain.
BHRT is used to help women during this period with their symptoms as well as to prevent future chronic disease. These hormones are identical to your body and thus not seen as foreign as the synthetic Premarin and Provera hormones are. This natural replacement is less likely to cause complications such as heart disease, blood clots and an increase risk of cancer.
Women who are good candidates for hormone replacement are women who are healthy. The type and choice of medication is customized for each woman and made at a compounding pharmacy just for you. I check hormone levels before and during replacement to monitor each patient to confirm they are in the optimal ranges of treatment as well as discuss other healthy and natural ways to slow down aging such as diet, exercise and stress management. All of this has to be balanced because good nutrition, exericse and stress management help you prevent disease and optimize the production of your own natural hormones.
How long people use hormones will vary on the person. Some people use it just for the time they are symptomatic but many patients continue to use it for some time afterwards because they feel and look so great! To learn more about BHRT, please Optimal Health Today. or call for an appointment today!
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How BHRT Improves Skin Health
Collagen and elastin production decrease by 1.5-2% per year after the age of 24. This is accelerated in people who smoke, drink excessively, use drugs, sun tan, have chronic disease and or chronic stress. To worsen all of this, during menopause, there is another immediate decline of collagen and elastin by 10-15% on top of all of the other declines. This means that if you had absolutely great skin at 50, you have lost about 40-50% of your collagen and elastin. If you don't have great skin, the loss is even greater. So women, you are correct when you say "I feel I aged with menopause!" Men do not experience that rapid decline like women but have the steady, slow decline in collagen after the age of 24.
So can you prevent this? Yes you can! At the Institute, we have always recommended a pro-active approach to health and skin. Women who use BHRT, can actually stop the 10-15% decline as well as slow down further loss collagen loss. For men, hormone replacement will strengthen and brighten their skin after a few months of use. BHRT can help maintain the remaining collagen and elastin which slows down the aging process from the inside.
For the external changes that have already occured or are occuring, you need to use good skin care products and advanced skin treatments. Topical products alone are not sufficient to build collagen and elastin, especially on patients who are older or have damaged skin. Topical must have products are Retinoic acids, which help stimulate collagen, and Vitamin C, which helps prevent wrinkles due to its powerful anti-oxidant properties.
Treatments that build collagen are fractional resurfacing lasers, such as the Pixel and treatments that help tighten laxed skin are tightening lasers such as the Accent laser. Using these lasers in combination together is far more effective to tighten, improve tone, color and texture. To learn more about the best treatment for you, schedule your consultation today. 
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