Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones by Suzanne Somers Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones
Book Review: Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones
Summary: 1 Stars
Suzanne Somers is at it yet again, touting something that does not have the proper data from clinical trials to back it up. What's more, she isn't certified to do anything, and yet she, by using interviews with some doctors, takes it upon herself to make clinical recommendations to women who prefer not to use Wyeth's class of hormone drugs, Premarin and Prempro.
Most of the trials on HRT have indeed involved Premarin and Prempro, and the results have been disappointing, even alarming. Prempro failed to prevent heart attacks in women who'd already had them and it increased the risks of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and dementia in healthy women. Premarin also failed to prevent heart disease in healthy women and it too increased the risks of stroke and dementia/mild cognitive impairment. Clearly, these drugs aren't the anti-aging elixirs they were once believed to be. However, many feel that HRT, as a concept, is still correct and that women need extra hormones after menopause to guarantee health and wellness into old age. So they have turned to bioidenticals. However, the very oldest observational data supporting HRT's benefits utilized Premarin, so the current belief that bioidenticals are better doesn't even have observational data to back it up.
One thing needs to be made clear: just because something "seems" better doesn't mean it is. Bioidentical estrogen, whether in pill or patch form, has already proved disappointing in some trials, most particularly, it increased the risk of fatal stroke in women who'd already had one and in the Papworth trial, it showed an early trend toward more heart attacks and blood clots in women with established coronary heart disease. Also, a woman's personal risk for breast cancer is due largely to her own hormonal profile; the longer the duration of estrogen exposure, the higher the risk. And you certainly don't get much more "bioidentical" than ovarian estrogen. Also, this idea that the ovaries don't serve a postmenopausal women is fallacious - the ovaries do continue to produce small amounts of testosterone and androstenedione, which the body, through the aromatase enzyme, converts to estrogen, giving women roughly 10%-15% of their former estrogen level. Menopause is NOT a disease and estrogen LOSS does not cause diseases; to the contrary, there is a lot of reliable data showing that excessively high levels of estrogen throughout life are bad for your health. Obesity, which correlates with high estrogen and androgen, is a prominent risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colon and reproductive cancers, and probably dementia. And while hysterectomy with ovary removal is probably a whole different ballgame in terms of women's health, there is no good reason to take hormones for more than a few years to deal with symptoms. Estrogen is estrogen and there probably isn't much difference between "brands". The hormone is not a cosmeceutical and has not been proven to combat the aging of skin or thinning hair.
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Book Review: You CANNOT practice medicine without a license!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Suzanne Somers is at it yet again, touting something that does not have the proper data from clinical trials to back it up. What's more, she isn't certified to do anything, and yet she, by using interviews with some doctors, takes it upon herself to make clinical recommendations to women who prefer not to use Wyeth's class of hormone drugs, Premarin and Prempro.
Most of the trials on HRT have indeed involved Premarin and Prempro, and the results have been disappointing, even alarming. Prempro failed to prevent heart attacks in women who'd already had them and it increased the risks of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and dementia in healthy women. Premarin also failed to prevent heart disease in healthy women and it too increased the risks of stroke and dementia/mild cognitive impairment. Clearly, these drugs aren't the anti-aging elixirs they were once believed to be. However, many feel that HRT, as a concept, is still correct and that women need extra hormones after menopause to guarantee health and wellness into old age. So they have turned to bioidenticals. However, the very oldest observational data supporting HRT's benefits utilized Premarin, so the current belief that bioidenticals are better doesn't even have observational data to back it up.
One thing needs to be made clear: just because something 'seems' better doesn't mean it is. Bioidentical estrogen, whether in pill or patch form, has already proved disappointing in some trials, most particularly, it increased the risk of fatal stroke in women who'd already had one and in the Papworth trial, it showed an early trend toward more heart attacks and blood clots in women with established coronary heart disease. Also, a woman's personal risk for breast cancer is due largely to her own hormonal profile the longer the duration of estrogen exposure, the higher the risk. And you certainly don't get much more 'bioidentical' than ovarian estrogen. Also, this idea that the ovaries don't serve a postmenopausal women is fallacious - the ovaries do continue to produce small amounts of testosterone and androstenedione, which the body, through the aromatase enzyme, converts to estrogen, giving women roughly 10%-15% of their former estrogen level. Menopause is NOT a disease and estrogen LOSS does not cause diseases to the contrary, there is a lot of reliable data showing that excessively high levels of estrogen throughout life are bad for your health. Obesity, which correlates with high estrogen and androgen, is a prominent risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colon and reproductive cancers, and probably dementia. And while hysterectomy with ovary removal is probably a whole different ballgame in terms of women's health, there is no good reason to take hormones for more than a few years to deal with symptoms. Estrogen is estrogen and there probably isn't much difference between 'brands'. The hormone is also not a cosmeceutical and has not been proven to combat the aging of skin or thinning hair.
While we do have freedom of speech in this country, Suzanne Somers is completely out of line to be espousing non-synthetic estrogens because 1. she is not a doctor and 2. there is just no reliable data from longterm, prospective randomized trials to prove that they are safe and efficacious. Some believe she is a pioneer I think she's being reckless and irresponsible.
Book Review: The voice and the truth...
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's the TRUTH...
The most profound truth that seems to be still ignored by many practicing internists, gynecologists, and endocrinologists (and the most important part of this book) is stated on page 90 of this book:
"When a woman has a complete hysterectomy, so many doctors make the mistake of prescribing only estrogen. This is a recipe for disaster."
Exactly how and which hormones should be prescribed is still a matter of research but (as a physician practicing many of the techniques described in this book) I've seen so many women go from suffering with fatigue, lack of sex drive, difficulty thinking, depression, anxiety, and weight gain...to "waking up" and feeling energetic, sexual, losing weight, and throwing away their antidepressants...that it is maddening to me that so many gynecologists continue to ignore their own research.
EXAMPLE: Years ago, in OB/GYN (like the New England Journal for gynecologists) the gynecologists published in their own magazine a study showing that women who were started on testosterone immediately BEFORE the hysterectomy (so it would be on board to help with recovery from the operation) recovered from surgery faster, had less pain, and a faster recovery emotionally and sexually than did women who were not on testosterone.
With proper hormone replacement (including testosterone), very good research in OB/GYN shows that women who have hysterectomy for the right reasons will have better sexual relations after the surgery than they had before the surgery.
If I sound like I'm ranting, it's because I am. I see so many women go from feeling miserable to feeling wonderful after the principles described in this book are applied that I find it tragic that too many women get slapped with a pap smear and a prescription for Premarin on the way out the door after their 10 minute visit with the gynecologist (where most of the discussion took place with her talking to her physician looking up from between her legs (spread by the table's stirrups).
One WARNING about the book...
Ms Somers says, "I'm sorry, but the lack of knowledge and insensitivity of doctors who think byat by removing organs unnecessarily, they are protectin women from cancer is truly disturbing! I will not even venture to think that somewhere in this scenario is a financial gain."
Actually, she did venture to think it because she said it. And the truth is that THERE IS FINANCIAL GAIN. But, if doing hysterectomy does prevent cancer, then you want doctors to have financial gain. I want Ms Someers to have financial gain for helping women with this wonderful book that wakes women to the truth about hormones, and also want doctors to have financial gain when they save lives.
Until you take care of a woman in her 30's wasting away in the hospital with ovarian cancer while her children cry at the bedside, it may be difficult to develop a hatred of this sneaky killer disease. Ovarian cancer is notorious for not being found until it's far to late to treat effectively because it has spread to the brain and other parts of the body.
If a woman is near menopause and truly needs a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), then I agree she should probably have an oophorectomy (remove her ovearies) and lose for an entire lifetiem the risk of this horrible cancer rather than keep ovaries that will fail in a few years anyway. The mistake is not in the oophorectomy...the mistake is in improper hormone replacement after the hysterectomy.
So, though I don't find every word of the book to be the best advice, I do recommend that every man and women over the age of 30 read this book carefully and use it as a guide for further discussion with their doctor.
There's a list of physicians in the back of the book. I personally know some of these doctors...as with any other profession, there is a range of quality...
On one extreme, some physicians practice medicine using many of the principles discovered by "anti-aging" research in combination with good sound internal medicine. On the other extreme, there are not-so-qualified physicians who burned out in another specialty who then use the new fad "anti-aging" medicine to be able to drum up business and charge high prices for services that are less than ideal. A good way to grade the physician you use is to ask about ligitimate research that has been conducted and how long he/she has been doing this type of endocrinology/internal medicine.
As for the VOICE: Ms Somers has written several books now about hormone replacement. I've recommended to my patients that they read "The Sexy Years" as a way to understand menopause and how proper and improper hormone replacement might change the body. This book was needed because it goes more directly to some of the medical options available and how they might be combined to live the most healthy energectic life possible. Ms. Somers has the gift of being able to grab more attention to the truth than could any physician and I'm grateful that she's using her position and her labors in writing for the noble work of saving lives rather than in the many other ways a movie star might squander time and money. Thank you, Ms Somers; I'm not a big on paying attention to movie stars turned expert (I haven't had a TV in my house since I left home for college), but you have become a great voice for good medicine and I have come to admire you greatly.
For more help, see the references to reasearch and to other books displayed on my website.
Peace & Health,
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Book Review: Informative book. Should be used to see the aging cycle in a different light.
Summary: 4 Stars
When I first contemplated reading this book I thought, well I'm not really of that age where I have to start thinking about menopause, hysterectomies or anti-aging medicines but after reading the first chapter or two in the store I realized that the book also includes preventitive measures that I can start utilizing every day to stay healthier and look younger. The information in this book allows you to heal or treat yourself from the inside out focusing on foods you imbibe, medicines you take and ridding your body of all the harm you have caused it over the years.
I also assumed this book was just for women, but I was wrong. I think more women will read it because it is written by Suzanne Somers, but there is also helpful information for men about their health, sexual appetite and daily energy levels.
I do think we have to honestly take a moment to admit that there truly is no fountain of youth, as much as we would all like to believe in it. I think she will sell books on the fact that she is offering a life without aging, but there is always the age old saying of Eating Right and Exercising is all it takes. Many of us know this but are lazy and I think the more tips we have offered to us of short cuts or different options, the better.
My only confusion with this book lies in fact with all things pointing to a more holistic view like trying nutritional therapy, massage therapy or herbal medicines yet she pushes this bioidentical hormone replacement therapy which seems like a contradiction. For those of you who don't know what this is, I didn't either, it's the act of doctors measuring your bodies hormone levels because everyone is different. Then a dose of bioidentical (the same as your bio make up) testosterone or estrogen is prescribed to you. Every 3-4 months they test your hormone levels again to make sure you are okay while your body metabolizes them. It is said that bioidentical is better than synthetic versions but since they haven't been tested for years...who will know?
In the end, it's all about balancing your life and the paths you take with your body. This book did help me give my mom (who is going through menopause) suggestions to a healthier life. My mom did respond with, "Didn't Somers have plastic surgery to look like that?" Yah never know. Interesting read with lots of information I knew nothing about.
Book Review: AGELESS, Priceless, Fantastic Information. 10 Stars!
Summary: 5 Stars
Suzanne Somers carefully researched book AGELESS is an intelligent, honest and pivotal resource packed with information about bioidentical hormones and how to reverse the ageing process.
She covers a great deal of brand new information, and the best part of this book is that you can look up just what YOU need, and learn how to go about taking care of it with careful guidance and a highly educated approach.
I'm excited to incorporate all of the info into in my own everyday life. This is a sincere, trusting read with excellent resources. I'll be recommending this book to many people!