Do Women Need Testosterone?

I thought That Was For Men 

If you or someone you know has dealt with menopause, then you’re probably familiar with the hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. These are the most commonly talked about hormones in menopause. There’s a good reason these are some of the most commonly talked about hormones in women. Estrogen and Progesterone are two of the hormones that truly make a woman feminine vs. masculine. They also regulate a woman’s natural cycle and make it possible to bare children. 

However, one of the most overlooked hormones in menopause is Testosterone. That’s right… Testosterone. Most women that I talk to don’t even realize that they have this hormone, yet it’s just as vital as Estrogen and Progesterone when it comes to menopausal health. 

Testosterone in women is important in the following ways: 

• Improving well-being 
• Improving energy 
• Improving strength and endurance 
• Improving body composition 
• By decreasing visceral fat (fat around the middle) 
• By increasing muscle mass 
• Improving bone density 
• Improving sexual function (libido) 
• Improving metabolism 
• Improving hot flashes 
• Improving mood 
• Improving vascular headaches 
• Increasing collagen 
• Increasing skin thickness 
• Improving skin texture 
• Decreasing wrinkles 
• Decreasing cellulite 

Aside from the benefits mentioned above, there are known benefits in preventing heart disease. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (2002) noted that, “Carotid artherosclerosis was significantly lowest for women in the highest quartile of total testosterone compared with those in the lowest quartile”. In layman’s terms, this means that healthy levels of testosterone, in the upper 25% of the range, have significant benefits in lowering heart disease risk, specifically arterial blockages. 

As a general rule-of-thumb, if you have the opposite of the benefits mentioned above, you are likely deficient in testosterone. A simple blood test can confirm whether or not this is the case. If you suspect this is the case with you, ask for help to determine if you are a candidate for biologically identical testosterone replacement therapy. 

To Your Health, 

Brian Brown

Side Effects of Surgical Menopause

When it comes to menopause, things can get complicated pretty quickly. For the sake of this article, we will talk about surgical menopause… that is, menopause caused by hysterectomy.

More women are having hysterectomies today than ever before in the history of medicine. Some women are able to keep their ovaries, hormone producing glands, while others are not. Generally, those who are fortunate enough to keep their ovaries don’t struggle with the immediate effects of sudden hormone loss that comes from a total hysterectomy.

When a woman experiences hormonal loss, whether through natural age-related decline or surgical intervention, the results are the same: loss of energy, decreased libido, weight gain, mood instability, skin and hair changes, mental fogginess, and decline in memory function. The only difference is that the women who have surgically-induced menopause experience their symptoms more severely and more abruptly. 

Biologically identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is becoming more widely accepted by women who struggle with these symptoms because there is growing evidence that it is safer than synthetic alternatives. Hormone management is essential for feeling rejuvenated & youthful, promoting weight loss, and preventing weight gain. If you have questions about how BHRT might help you, feel free to contact us for more details. 

Brian Brown, APRN-BCCEO / Co-Owner