Blog — BHRT

By David Zava, ZRT Laboratory Delivery of the bioidentical hormones estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), and testosterone (T) through the skin as a cream or gel (topically) has become a mainstay of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for women and men. A plethora of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, compounded, and even over-the-counter topical BHRT products are available. The popularity of these products lies not only in their ease of use but in proven clinical efficacy [1-5] in treating hormonal deficiencies mostly brought on by ageing of the female (menopause) and male (andropause) reproductive systems. Dosing for Optimal Clinical Benefit Over the past 30 or so...

By Dr Allison Smith, ZRT Laboratory The testicles of a man in his 20s are known to contribute about 5-10mg of testosterone per 24-hour day and levels of total testosterone in the venous blood with that amount are observed to yield roughly 300-1200 ng/dL in the morning at the diurnal peak. Testosterone, whether endogenous or given exogenously, negatively feeds back on the hypothalamus, limiting GnRH and thus LH and FSH from the pituitary. A man taking supraphysiological doses of testosterone can expect to have very low or undetectable levels of LH and FSH in the serum. What happens when the...

By Dr. Kate Placzek, ZRT Laboratory Estrogen.  We've heard Dr. Zava call it the "angel of life, and the angel of death." Too much can be hazardous. Too little can be problematic also.  Not many people realize this, but estrogen plays a role in more bodily functions than just reproduction. In fact, estrogen has many important functions in the brain.  Studies show that decreasing levels of estrogen can cause two of the most common perimenopause symptoms – hot flashes and mood fluctuations. Curious how this happens? Read on to learn the details of this biochemistry.  SUMMARY The main focus of this blog is the time in a woman’s life...

September is Menopause Awareness Month, but if you listen to certain talking heads in the media you’d think we were in the midst of Menopause UNAWARENESS month! Just the other day on a woman’s talk show, a so-called menopause expert was warning about the perils of using progesterone cream for symptom relief “because it can cause cancer.” This is the type of misleading information that makes my blood boil because it confuses the facts and scares women away from the benefits of natural hormone balancing during menopause.   Bioidenticals...help keep cancers at bay, promote deeper sleep, and bring sweet relief from the hot flashes endured...