Dear Marla: Since the WHI study, there has been a lot of talk about \individualized\ hormone therapy. What does that mean?
Dear Lynn: The portion of the WHI study halted in 2002 administered the same dose of the same synthetic hormone – Prempro – to all participants. The outcomes helped point out the need for hormone therapy to be customized to the individual’s specific needs. Hormone medications differ and can be tailored to the individual patient in several ways. Which hormones to supplement The hormones that a woman needs vary according to her individual hormone profile. Symptoms are the first indication of which hormones may require supplementation. Measuring hormones through a simple saliva hormone test provides a more scientific and accurate way of determining a woman’s hormone profile. Estrogen, progesterone and/or testosterone are the most commonly prescribed hormones. Natural vs. synthetic hormones The difference between natural or natural hormones and synthetic hormones is the chemical structure. Natural hormones have a chemical structure that is identical to those the body produces while the che
