From Mary Shomon Your Thyroid Guide
The "Estrogen" and HRT Controversy: Different Sides of the Discussion Presented
July 2002 -- While the media has presented the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study (see NIH Stops Trial of Estrogen/Progestin Due to Risks) as if the entire medical world has now agreed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not recommended for women. The study showed small but increased risks of breast cancer, heart attacks, heart disease, blood clots and strokes for women who a certain type of HRT for more than four years. The truth is that the nation's leading women's hormone and alternative medicine experts are definitely not all of one mind, and many question the results and whether they are applicable to the majority of women.
Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD, author of Screaming to Be Heard, says "These reports are misleading and do not present the whole truth or the limitations of this recent study." Vliet feels there is still a role for hormone replacement therapy, but suggests use of other forms of hormone replacement beyond Prempro.
Donna Hurlock, MD, an Alexandria, Virginia-based women's hormone expert, takes great issue with the WHI findings. Overall, Dr. Hurlock does not feel that the study answers in any way the critical question that most women are facing: Should I take estrogen when I hit menopause? Dr. Hurlock has outlined her concerns, and why she thinks HRT is still a viable option, in this letter to Newsweek magazine.
Dr. David Brownstein, author of The Miracle of Natural Hormones, feels that progestins are the main culprit, and that more natural forms of hormones are the answer. Brownstein provides more information online.
Natural medicine guru Andrew Weil, MD has been saying for years that there could be dangers to the popular HRT regimens in the U.S., and that risks usually outweight benefits. He offers a variety of prescription natural hormone and dietary supplement solutions.
The soy industry has taken the HRT news as an opportunity to tout soy as a menopause remedy. Meanwhile, experts on soy continue to question soy's safety, especially to the thyroid.
One potentially safer alternative to soy for thyroid patients that is the south American herb/food maca. Maca is a non-phytoestrogenic, plant sterol-based food supplement that has been shown to have some impact on menopausal symptoms. Anthropologist and herbal expert Viana Muller, Ph.D. offers details in this article.
