Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD is considered one of
the nation’s top doctors in Gynecology. He is the co-author of the book “The
Estrogen Alternative’ and is a Certified Menopause Practitioner by the North
American Menopause Society. He is also the Recipient of the Thomas A. Clarkson award for many
outstanding contributions to menopause related clinical or basic science
research. He has helped thousands of women alleviate the symptoms of menopause
with Female
Hormone Replacement Therapy.
As women age and their ovarian function ceases
(the medical definition of menopause), there is a lack of sufficient estrogen
in the body. This results in real medical consequences for a woman’s body. Most
women are very familiar with the menopause symptoms - hot flashes, vaginal
dryness, foggy memory, night sweats, mood changes and so on which are very
common during the menopausal transition. However, there are many more serious
issues occurring in the body because of a lack of estrogen.
A serious consequence of a lack of estrogen is
rapid bone loss which may result in osteoporotic fractures, in addition to
joint pains. There is the risk of heart disease as LDL (bad) cholesterol and
total cholesterol rises an average of 15-20% due to the lack of estrogen.
Weight gain during menopause (fat accumulation around the midsection) is also
due to a lack of estrogen in women. Changes in the vagina also occur because of
a lack of estrogen, which causes a change in the normal bacteria thus affecting
the pH of the vagina which results in dryness, a lack of lubrication and
painful intercourse.
So what is the solution to this loss of estrogen
in menopausal women? As an
expert on Female Hormone Replacement
Therapy, Dr. Goldstein prefers those approaches that combine the estrogen
Premarin with a different category of drug than progesterone. That category is
SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) used in Female Hormone Replacement Therapy. This synthetic estrogen is
delivered via pills, patches or creams.