BioTE — The Heart-Healthy, Plant-Based Hormone Replacement Therapy
As February is the month of love, many are focused on how to make their heart happy. However, It may also be a good time to learn more about how to make the heart healthy.
And that’s where sex hormones come into play.
As research has shown, fluctuations in the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone may affect heart health. Knowing that the heart may be impacted, people suffering from hormone imbalance are increasingly looking for the best treatments for their struggles with estrogen or testosterone levels and, in turn, their heart health.
This correlation has also caused many to look into the effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), one of the most common treatments for hormone imbalance, on the cardiovascular system. The outcomes of this research have had many patients turning to a safer, all-natural form of HRT — BioTE.
Learning more about this form of HRT and the links between sex hormone imbalance and heart health can be important information when choosing a treatment to consider.
The Correlation Between Sex Hormones and Heart Health
Before thinking about what treatment or therapy will be the most effective at treating hormonal problems, men and women should first understand the link between estrogen and testosterone and heart health.
According to medical experts, problems with sex hormones are a very clear indicator of potential heart issues. Specifically, problems with testosterone levels have shown to be signs of cardiovascular issues. In fact, a study from the Cleveland Clinic found that around 60 percent of men who have received treatment for heart-related issues have also experienced Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Going further, researchers state that ED may be more of a risk factor for heart disease than family history of heart problems or smoking.
Realizing the more serious implications of issues with testosterone levels, men have started seeking out heart-healthy ED treatments.
And it is not just men, either. Along with irregular periods, gastrointestinal problems, and hot flashes, estrogen is also known to affect a wide breadth of bodily functions, including the functions of the cardiovascular system. There may not be as much known yet about estrogen’s effect on the heart as is known about testosterone’s, but this link is still causing women to realize the potential severity of issues with estrogen levels.
HRT and Its Complicated Relationship with Heart Health
Given these links, could undergoing HRT for issues with testosterone or estrogen levels in turn improve heart health? Or could this form of therapy cause more issues with the cardiovascular system?
As a paper in Harvard Health Publishing explored, some studies have demonstrated a link between testosterone use and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. What the studies focused on, however, were synthetic forms of HRT. Trying to find a better solution, research has shown that plant-based HRTs are providing a safer alternative for the heart.
Therefore, the answer lies in BioTE, a plant-based form of bioidentical HRT.
BioTE — The Safer Solution for the Heart
BioTE therapy involves a doctor inserting custom-compounded tiny pellets into the body. BioTE pellets are natural, plant-based, and provide consistent hormone levels. Pellets are periodically inserted and typically provide symptom relief in two to four weeks. Because patients receive hormones similar to the ones inside their bodies through BioTE, they experience fewer side effects than they would with synthetic hormones, including the potential disruption of the cardiovascular system.
According to the Postgraduate Medical Journal’s study, “The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estradiol, estriol, and progesterone) safer or more efficacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replacement therapy?”, research has shown that BioTE pellets are better for maintaining cardiovascular health than the synthetic hormone options available. The study specifies further, stating that “Physiological data and clinical outcomes demonstrate that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risks, including the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, and are more efficacious than their synthetic and animal-derived counterparts.”
And with BioTE, women are likely to not only better protect their heart health, but their happiness as well. By reviving a woman’s sex drive, BioTE treatment also results in a number of positive side effects for women, including better sleep, mood, and brain function.
BioTE at Practice Happiness
At Practice Happiness, Dr. Natalie Drake and her team treat both men and women suffering from hormonal imbalance with BioTE. The practice has been successfully helping patients tackle the symptoms of hormone changes with BioTE by thoroughly discussing necessary lab work and providing customized treatment plans and pellet dosages.
Dr. Drake worked at the Cleveland Clinic prior to opening Practice Happiness in Houston, Texas. She has been published in a number of peer review journals, and she and her staff are known for their understanding and educational approach to patient treatment.