A wonderful patient and friend was in last week, and her daughter had a fantastic question: Is hormone replacement therapy safe?
I said yes — we use human duplicate hormones, also called bioidentical hormone therapy. They’re identical to what your body naturally produces, and we test to confirm you’re taking the right amount for your age. Research data has documented that it’s safe and effective.
I did some digging this week to find the latest research on natural hormone replacement therapy and what researchers actually think.
A recent article in Climacteric made a case that really stuck with me. Researchers are arguing that premature ovarian insufficiency and early menopause shouldn’t just be treated as an early version of normal menopause — they should be recognized as their own chronic endocrine condition, and as an early warning sign of accelerated aging in women. Their conclusion: hormone therapy shouldn’t just be about symptom relief. It should be viewed as a way to prevent long-term disability. (You can read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2026.2691828)
In plain terms: low hormone levels don’t just make you feel bad now — over time, they’re linked to a shorter lifespan and a higher risk of chronic illness.
So how do we actually measure your hormones?
There are three ways to test: saliva, urine, and blood. All three are accurate — the right choice depends on what you’re looking for.
- Blood testing is my least favorite. Most labs don’t give ranges based on your age or where you are in your cycle.
- Urine testing gives a pooled value over a period of time, which can be useful in certain situations.
- Saliva testing measures hormone levels at an exact point in time — just like blood — but the lab gives ranges based on your age and cycle timing. That makes the results far more meaningful. Saliva measures hormones at the cellular level, and it’s just as accurate as blood.
Don’t put up with not being 100%. If any of this sounds familiar — weight gain, poor sleep, PMS, night sweats, hot flashes, or achy joints — call the office. Let’s test and find out exactly what your hormones are doing, and what to do about it.
Call me. I’ll tell you if I can help.