Hormone Therapy (BHRT)
Hormone Therapy using BHRT (bio-identical hormone restoration therapy) rebalances the body by using the very same hormone molecules that our own bodies naturally produce, within physiological ranges – thereby avoiding the well-known dangers of synthetic hormones. Dr. McKay developed a national reputation as a BHRT expert, supporting the work of physicians and compounding pharmacists nationwide, while she was a physician consultant at ZRT Lab. She feels blessed to practice in Portland, Oregon, the heartland of natural medicine, where highly-skilled family-owned compounding pharmacies and great natural-foods stores are easy to find.
BHRT is best-known for supporting women through their midlife transitional years. However, BHRT is also extremely helpful for men experiencing a decline in well-being or an expanding waistline. BHRT can restore lost libido, poor zest for life, sagging skin tone, or the persistent fatigue-upon-awakening that is one of the hallmarks of subclinical hypothyroidism.
In the realm of hormonal medicine, it must be said that politics and economics are costing people their health. Although mainstream publications report that BHRT is “controversial,” in fact the controversy is made-up. Vast economic interests are at stake, but that does not mean we should permit shoddy research to carry the day.
Careful analysis of high-quality scientific studies reveals that real human hormones, in well-balanced physiologic doses, are actually protective of health and well-being. One of the best overviews of published, validated scientific literature on the subject was written by Dr. Kent Holtorf, published in the prestigious Journal of Postgraduate Medicine in 2009. Dr. Holtorf’s article is one of the few overviews of worldwide scientific research on hormone replacement therapy that was not ghostwritten or otherwise sponsored by the giant pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Dr. Holtorf concluded in his 2009 journal article: “Physiological data and clinical outcomes demonstrate that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risks, including the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, and are more efficacious than their synthetic and animal derived counterparts. Until evidence is found to the contrary, bioidentical hormones remain the preferred method of HRT.”