Al Sears, MD 11903 Southern Blvd., Ste. 208 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 April 19, 2010

Dear Pam,

 I just read a new study that proves how dangerous those drugs that are labeled “HRT” are. I call them drugs because they’re not real hormones. Hormones have to be made in your body, and these are synthetically created. I can’t help but get mad at this. I’m so tired of women being in this unnecessary danger. As you read this, millions of women are still getting estrogen. If you’ve ever been to your doctor for help with menopause, you know what I’m talking about. Just because I’m a man, it doesn’t mean I can’t relate to issues facing women. I truly believe I can, because I sit in my office and I try to put myself in their shoes. And I’ll tell you… I feel for what women are going through. This new study shows a connection between synthetic estrogen in HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and asthma. Women on HRT have a 54% higher risk.1 That’s bad news on its own, but when you consider that lung function is your number one risk factor for death, it’s tragic. HRT “therapy” isn’t therapy. What they’re giving you isn’t a real hormone, and it does nothing to help you with the real problems of menopause. For most women, too much estrogen is the problem. Not too little. Remember, you get extra estrogen from your food and your environment. Only looking at estrogen gives you only half the picture. If you’re a woman, the missing link is progesterone, the “other” female hormone. When menopause starts, progesterone falls to almost zero. When I test women here in my clinic, their levels are often barely detectable. Estrogen, on the other hand, only falls about 40 percent.

Progesterone maintains the healthy features you may not want to give up like:

 •Using fat better

 •Elevating your mood

•Keeping your blood sugar normal

•Boosting your sex drive

•Protecting against some cancers

•Bone building2

In clinical trials, natural progesterone proved effective against bone loss.

3 Natural progesterone also proved to help reduce menopause symptoms without adding to breast cancer risks like prescription drugs do.

4 Research shows that natural progesterone replacement in aging females helps to improve insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes.

5 I’ve seen it at work in my own practice and have been pleased with the results.

But when I see these women during their first visit, they often tell me of weight gain, lack of sex drive, and poor sleep. Many are even on antidepressant drugs. When I see women with low progesterone, I prescribe a natural replacement. Within two weeks, they’re usually back to normal. A high-quality progesterone cream is often the best way to do it. The natural progesterone in the cream gets into your bloodstream and gently lifts your levels. For more serious cases, I recommend you have a complete hormonal panel to determine which of your hormones are low. Your doctor can then prescribe a blend of natural hormones, identical to your own. A compounding pharmacist fills this prescription. The hormones are bio-identical and balanced to meet your individual needs. They’re much safer and more effective than prescription drugs that only mimic hormones. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD