Vive Hormones Support A Healthy Heart

Dr. Enrique Jacome

In case you haven’t heard it yet, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. To put it in more concrete terms, 1100 women died of heart disease each day in 2011.

It’s a staggering number that means we need to look at what happens to increase the risk of heart disease in women as they age.It’s a simple connection between heart disease and menopause. Estrogen, the hormone women have an abundance before menopause, is a major protector of the heart and once that disappears, women catch up with men and even surpass them in having more heart attacks, strokes and cardiac disease.There are 52 million women over age 50 today who should run to get prescriptions for bioidentical hormones, which would immediately drop their risk of heart disease by more than 60 percent.

Let me explain why:

When we are in our 20s and 30s, we are full of hormones. By that I mean we are full of estradiol (estrogen of youth), progesterone (the hormone that balances estrogen) and yes, even testosterone. We are full of energy, want to have sex  and don’t have wrinkles. Our skin glows and weight loss is easy with diet and exercise. Hormones are the root reason we are healthy when we are young.  They also support our immune function so we get over a cold in 48 hours and eliminate inflammation so we don’t suffer with arthritic joints.

In our 40s, things change. We manufacture fewer hormones, ovulate irregularly and the quality diminishes until we stop making them altogether at menopause. On the outside, wrinkles appear, midriff bulge spills over, energy drops and sleep becomes a nightmare, accompanied by hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations and, of course, anxiety.

Inside, the loss of hormones increases bad-cholesterol levels, plaque in our arteries and shortness of breath.

Complicating the picture for women is the fact that they do not experience or manifest heart disease like men.

Chest pain may not be the presenting symptom. Heart disease in women can be a nagging toothache, jaw aches, arm pain and often exhaustion and persistent cough.

Too many women who die are misdiagnosed, because studies on and treatments for heart disease have been conducted with men.

If women would learn to be unafraid of bioidentical hormones – which are manufactured to look identical to their own hormones – and take them before menopause, heart disease would claim fewer women’s lives. Let’s start today, shall we?

1. Become aware that hormones are your saviors and protectors.
2. Start taking bioidentical hormones as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms of pre-menopause.
3. If you have a family history of heart disease, start bioidentical hormones as early as possible.
4. Change your diet to low carbs, low animal fat, high vegetable and fruit by age 40.
5. Cut down on alcohol, caffeine, soda and sugar substitutes.
6. Increase the amount of cardio exercise and strength building to 30 minutes a day.
7. Sleep eight hours every night.
8. Eliminate fear and anxiety from your life. They are dangerous to your heart.
9. Work with doctors who support and encourage you, not fear-mongers.
10. Don’t fear heart disease or cancer. Take control of your life and enjoy every minute. Stay young and full of hormones forever.

www.vivenaturalhormones.com

Study Shows Menopause Does Not Result In Weight Gain Overall - It Increases Belly Fat Specifically

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Menopause does not result in weight gain among women, however, hormonal adjustments are linked to a difference in fat distribution, which increases belly fat, according to a recent study that has been released by the International Menopause Society in light of the upcoming World Menopause Day on October 18th.

The new trial, published in Climacteric, is a comprehensive, scientifically based report on weight gain when a woman reaches menopause. 

Many women are bothered by the thought of gaining weight, and during middle-age years they begin to gain around 0.5kg or 1lb every year. Weight gain is of concern not only because women do not like to look overweight; it is associated with a several chronic diseases and conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other medical conditions. 

Approximately 1.5 billion adults are overweight worldwide - 300 million of them are obese females. Since 1980, obesity rates have increased two-fold, mostly in industrialized nations. Experts say the obesity epidemic is caused by lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and eating habits. A higher percentage of females are obese than males; probably because women are more susceptible to hormonal imbalances.

Experts examined findings regarding weight gain during menopause and discovered that surprisingly, increase in weight is due to non-hormonal factors, rather than the actual menopause.

The researchers found that the way fat is deposited during the menopause changes significantly; this is the main reason for rising obesity rates among women in this age group. Regardless of whether women gain weight when they hit middle-age years, they do undergo a change in the way fat accumulates in their bellies. 

www.vivenaturalhormones.com

10 Year Study Finds Hormone Replacement Therapy Reduces Heart Attack And Heart Failure Risk Dramatically

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Women who receive Hormone Replacement Therapy soon after the menopause have a much lower risk of heart attack, heart failure or dying early compared to women of the same age who do not, Danish researchers reported in the BMJ. 
The team of researchers from Denmark carried out a 10-year long randomized trial, with an extra six years of follow-up to determine what impact HRT might have on cardiovascular risk if it were started soon after menopause.

They recruited 1,006 women and randomly selected them into two groups:

• The HRT group - 504 women
• The non-HRT group - 502 women

All the women were Caucasian, recently menopausal, aged between 45 and 58 years, and healthy. The researchers only included women who had had a hysterectomy if they were aged from 45 to 52. They did not include women with uncontrolled chronic diseases, a medical history of cancer, current or previous HRT use (within the last 3 months), bone disease, drugaddiction, or alcohol dependency.

The researchers used information on diagnoses or death from the Danish Civil Registration System and National Hospital Discharge Register. The primary end-point was a combo of death and hospitalization for heart failure or a heart attack.

After a decade of randomized treatment, the patients were advised to stop HRT after the results of the Women's Health Initiative and the Million Women Study were published.

During this ten year period:

• In the HRT Group - there were 15 deaths and 16 deaths or cardiovascular end-points
• In the non-HRT Group - there were 26 deaths and 33 deaths or cardiovascular end-points

The team followed-up on the women for a further six years. The primary end-point was seen in:

• 33 women in the HRT group - 27 deaths, 3 heart failures, and 3 heart attacks
  Causes of death - 6 cardiovascular deaths and 21 non-cardiovascular deaths
• 53 women in the non-HRT group - 40 deaths, 8 heart failures, and 5 heart attacks
  Causes of death - 23 cardiovascular deaths and 17 non-cardiovascular deaths

www.vivenaturalhormones.com

Early Study Results: Hormone Replacement Therapy Lessens Menopause Symptoms Including Improvement Of Mood And Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Dr. Enrique Jacome

According to early results of a highly anticipated study that were presented at a meeting in the US on Wednesday, it appears that estrogen-progesterone hormone replacement therapy, if started soon after menopause, not only lessens many symptoms but also improves mood and some cardiovascular risk factors. 

While the findings are still preliminary and have yet to be submitted for peer review before publication in a journal, the researchers presented the early results of their HRT study at the North American Menopause Society's Annual Meeting, which is taking place in Orlando, Florida from Oct 3-6, 2012.

The study was designed and funded by the Kronos Longevity Research Institute to answer questions raised by the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), and is called KEEPS (short for Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study).

www.vivenaturalhormones.com