Human hormone replacement therapy, commonly known as HRT, is one of the most understood and safest health interventions that we know of. The first hormone exogenously isolated was HCG, which was first used for weight loss in the 1950s. Today, HRT is used widely to help defray problems related to aging.
While the benefits of estrogen-based hormone replacement treatment in women have been well-understood for decades, it's less known but still true that men's hormones begin declining in the 50s. This can cause similar mental and physical health issues to those that women begin dealing with a decade younger.
Besides the physical signs of aging, the hormone imbalance of declining hormones from aging can cause serious mental health problems. Declining hormone levels make executive function problems more apparent. You may experience aggravating symptoms of conditions like ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sleep disorders can also appear in midlife because of these problems. Hormone replacement treatment is a low-impact way to improve functionality during midlife.
Among many other functions within your body, hormones can greatly affect your mood. As estrogen and progesterone start to decline, mood swings and depression are something you may experience. With HRT, you can expect the hormones in your body to be balanced. This means your mood will improve and your symptoms of depression will start to alleviate.
Although the mechanism is unknown at present, estrogen HRT is one of the most effective available treatments for other hormone-related conditions, such as hypothyroidism. Your thyroid hormone can be reduced by menopause, which causes a cyclical worsening of your menopause symptoms.
Two of the most difficult symptoms of aging to deal with, for men and women, is the loss of strength and bone mass that comes with declining hormones. Testosterone-based hormone replacement treatment for men and estrogen-based for women can offset this loss of strength and bone by encouraging the body to continue building itself. You can be healthier longer with HRT as a major tool.
The benefits of hormone replacement treatment continue to greatly outweigh its potential drawbacks. Talk to a specialist today at Keystone Medical Wellness about whether HRT is right for you.