Heart Disease & Natural Hormone Replacement

Hormone replacement is a medical therapy usually taken by women who are experiencing the symptoms of menopause. The therapy includes treatment with female hormones such as estrogen and progestin, which is the synthetically manufactured progesterone. Sometimes, the therapy may include testosterone too. There are several side effects of the hormone replacement therapy and these include risk of heart diseases.

What is Natural Hormone Replacement?

• While medicated hormone replacement therapy comes in the form of pills and medicines that can be ingested orally, natural hormone replacement is also possible. Natural hormone replacement therapy is also known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. This therapy utilizes hormones synthesized naturally from soy and yams. The hormones received through this therapy are better assimilated into the body, as the body already contains enzymes required to break down the natural hormones.

Side Effects of Natural Hormone Therapy

• Hormone replacement therapy has several side effects, some of which include cardiovascular diseases. In older women, estrogen tends to increase the chances of developing heart disease. Women under the age of 60 are generally safer taking estrogen than women who are older than 60. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus are some of the other side effects of hormone replacement therapy. If left untreated, these can develop into serious heart problems.

Cardiovascular Diseases and Hormone Replacement Therapy

• Natural hormone replacement therapy, when taken in the form a pill, has been known to cause an increase in the risk of developing heart problems. If the pill is not administered correctly, the liver becomes the first organ to process the hormones, causing the release of C-reactive proteins, clotting factors and activated protein C. All these chemicals cause an increase the risk of developing heart diseases.

Considerations

• While the natural hormone replacement therapy is much better than the therapy using pills, there are many side effects to the natural alternative, too. Women could experience breast tenderness, depression, headaches and varicose veins due to the natural hormone replacement therapy.

Mitigating the Risks of Natural Hormone Replacement

• According to the Harvard Women's Health Watch, the risks associated with any hormonal product depend to a large extent on how the hormone is made and administered. For instance, if instead of a pill, the natural hormone therapy is administered using a transderrmal patch, the liver doesn't process the hormones first and the heart disease-causing chemicals are not produced in the body.