Common Myths and Facts Every Woman Must Know (NAPSA)—If you are starting or have started the transition to menopause, you may be wondering if you should take menopausal hormone therapy to reduce your menopausal symptoms. You may also be feeling confused about terms that are being discussed in the media like “bioidentical hormones”(an exact copy of hormones produced by the body, usually referring to hormone medications containing estradiol or progesterone) or “compounded hormones” (menopausal hormone preparations compounded for a specific approved bioidentical hormone products available by prescription at your local pharmacy in various doses. e Myth No. 2: Hormonetherapy prescribed by traditional physiciansis not bioidentical. Fact: Your physician can prescribe FDA-approved bioidentical hormones, usually covered by most health insuranceplans. approved hormones). To help provide clarity to women about the many common misunderstandings about menopausal hormonetherapy, and to educate about the importance of using FDAapproved products prescribed by your healthcare professional, The Female Patient, a leading medical want to arm women with the person as an alternative to FDA- journal, and Red Hot Mamas, a menopause education organization, along with Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D., women’s health physician, hormone therapy expert, author and radio show host, created a new multimedia program called The Buzz on Bioidenticals. The new program is available online by visiting www.thebuzzonbios.com and is supported by an educational grant from Ascend Therapeutics, Inc. By visiting the program’s online site, you will find a new educational tool kit, including a special digital edition of The Buzz on Bioidenticals magazine, advice from well-known experts, a question and answer section and more. Women can also discover common myths and learn important truths about bioidentical hormonetherapy. Common Mythsand Facts e Myth No. 1: You can only get bioidentical hormones from compounding pharmacies. Fact: There are many FDA- “The decision about whether to take hormone therapy for menopausal symptom relief — and what option is best — is a very personal choice, and we tools they need to take charge of their menopausal health,” says Margo Ullmann, publisher of The Female Patient. @ e Myth No.3: Bioidentical hormone therapy obtained from a compounding pharmacyis natural. Fact: Compounded hormones are no more “natural” than FDAapproved bioidentical products. e Myth No.4: Bioidentical hormone therapy obtained from a compounding pharmacyis safer than FDA-approved hormonetherapy products. Fact: Compounded products are less reliable and can vary greatly in doses, potency and stability compared to FDA-approved hormones. FDA-approved products have been tested in manyclinical trials on real women, and only contain the estrogen estradiol. Some compounding pharmacies useestriol, a hormone that is not FDA-approved. Doctors Know You don’t need to go to a compounding pharmacy to obtain bioidentical hormone therapy, according to Dr. Vliet, founder of HER Place: Health Enhancement Renewal for Women, Inc. Many FDA-approved hormone therapy products are bioidentical, including transdermal formulations that contain estradiol (or progesterone) and are absorbed through the skin. Transdermal products have several advantages over oral prod- ucts, and clinical studies show that they may also have fewerside effects, including a possible lowered risk of blood clots. You should talk to your healthcare provider about whatoptionis best for you. What Else To Do Karen Giblin, president and founder of Red Hot Mamas, gives some additional tips to minimize hot flashes in addition to hormone therapy, including: * Keep your roomscool, especially at night; Wearlightweight clothes in layers so you can take them off as needed; Use a small personal fan to cool off; Keep a glass of ice water handy to drink when you feel a flash coming on. Learn More “We know from our clinician readers that women are confused about terms like ‘bioidentical hormones’ that are being discussed in the media, and we want to help women get the facts,” explains Margo Ullmann, publisher of The Female Patient. “The decision about whether to take hormone therapy for menopausal symptom relief — and what option is best — is a very personal choice. Through The Buzz on Bioidenticals, The Female Patient, Red Hot Mamas and Dr. Vliet’s HER Place hope to provide women with the tools they need to work with their healthcare professional to take charge of their health at menopause.” Visit www.thebuzzonbios.com today to learn all about the buzz on bioidenticals and become a Buzz Member. You can also follow The Buzz on Bioidenticals on Twitter and Facebook to receive up-to-date information about menopausal hormonetherapy.
