The Long term impacts of hormone replacement therapy for the menopause, chiropractic relations

Written by Sophia Taylor

Menopause – meaning your very last bleed! A Greek meaning for change of life, some cultures view this as a celebration of the completion of ‘childbearing’ years and a deepening of inner understanding and exploration.

• Meno, pause

• Progesterone drop peri-menopause which is the hormone interconnected with ovulation, oestrogen levels initially rise.

• Menopause is not a deficiency or a disease. The drops in oestrogen relate to the drops in the blood rich uterine lining that was once to be shed.

• Some menopausal journeys may last between 6-13 years.

(Creator- Nadezhda Evgen)

Two phases of the menopause:

Phase 1 (35-45 years old)

• Reproductive hormone production starts to shift, progesterone lowers and oestrogen rises.

• Symptoms wont arise in this time if hormonal health is balanced (which links to stress mentioned below)

• Vitality, strength, hair and skin health should be balanced during this phase

Phase 2 (45-55 years old)

• FSH levels rise to the point you no longer ovulate

• If the first phase is smooth then this phase will not present with any issues, however if there is an imbalance in either phase vaginal dryness, skin changes, hair changes and energy levels are most likely to be impacted.

Peri- menopause (around your last bleed):

• Health of adrenals support the transition from peri menopause to menopause and the prevention of symptoms

• Healthy adrenals ensure blood sugar levels are regulated

• Thyroid hormones typically drop when the adrenals are unbalanced due to the inter-related connection between the two organs

• When the adrenals are imbalanced, sex hormones, insulin levels and stress hormones are impacted.

What impacts the transition into menopause?

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Stress in the years building up, impacting adrenals, thyroid and menstrual cycles prior

• Overriding the fluctuations in energy levels throughout your cycle ie. Over exercising

• Overworking

• Restrictive diets

• Exposure to chemical toxins in daily products which increase oestrogen levels through chemical mimicking

• Emotional and traumatic stress

"Chiropractic care enhances the parasympathetic response (rest and digest) in the body, this will impact the harmony in our organs including the adrenal glands."

Aysha Karim Kiani et al. (2020)

Other Natural ways to benefit the transition and journey of peri- menopause and menopause:

• Mineral rich foods high in B vitamins

• Cycle syncing method of exercising in tune with your menstrual cycle and natural monthly hormonal fluctuations, limiting to 30 minutes of exercise if stressed

• Tailor foods in phase 1 and phase 2 of menopause to help the harmony in fluctuations of hormones

• Regular strength training to help aid balance of sex hormones and stress hormones

• Reduce stressors such as overworking or overexercising, creating and maintaining harmonious boundaries in conjunction with your energy levels

• Reduce chemical exposure to products which contain oestrogen mimikers, looking out to avoid chemicals such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), phthalate esters, endosulfan, atrazine and zeranol

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

The use of synthetic oestrogen and/or progesterone to mimic the hormones reduced during the menopause. With aims to maintain the lining of the uterus.

Efficacy of HRT

Many studies publicised by PubMed and through the NHS promoting the benefits of HRT were not completed on the basis of randomised clinical control trials of a large population, and some were not even completed with humans.

A randomised control study in 2002 by Krieger N et al, showed in a population of mainly healthy women, that the long term use of combined oestrogen and progesterone HRT was not only associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer but it also showed increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The oestrogen with progesterone trial was stopped at 5.2 years due to the dangers imposed on the females health involved showing an increased risk of breast cancer and stroke.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8023121/

2. Roy JR, Chakraborty S, Chakraborty TR. Estrogen-like endocrine disrupting chemicals affecting puberty in humans--a review. Med Sci Monit. 2009 Jun;15(6):RA137-45. PMID: 19478717.

3. Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risk and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. Principal results from the women’s health initiative randomised controlled trial. JAMA2002;288:321–33.

4. Krieger N, Löwy I, Aronowitz R, et alHormone replacement therapy, cancer, controversies, and women’s health: historical, epidemiological, biological, clinical, and advocacy perspectivesJournal of Epidemiology & Community Health 2005;59:740-748.

5. Barrett-Connor E, Stuenkal CA. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) — risks and benefits Int J Epidemiol 2001; 30: 432-436.

6. Mendelsohn ME, Karas RH. Protective effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system. N Engl J Med 1999; 340: 1801-1811.

7. Lawlor DA, Ebrahim S, Smith GD. Role of endogenous oestrogen in aetiology of coronary heart disease: analysis of age related trends in coronary heart disease and breast cancer in England and Wales and Japan. BMJ 2002; 325: 311- 312.

8. Tu nstall-Pedoe H. Myth and paradox of coronary risk and the menopause. Lancet 1998; 351: 1425-1427.

9. https://www.floliving.com/symptom-free-perimenopause-guide/

10. https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/menopause/changes/hormone-replacement-therapy-adjust-to-the-symptoms-of-menopause#:~:text=Hormone%20replacement%20therapy%20(HRT)%20is,female%20hormones%20estrogen%20and%20progesterone.

11. https://www.floliving.com/symptom-free-perimenopause-guide/