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SIDE EFFECTS OF NOT USING HORMONES

by Gary London, M.D.

Men and women have been supplementing with hormones for decades. In recent years, the growing awareness of the benefits of hormone restoration for anti- aging has generated a growing debate over possible adverse side effects hormones might cause. Because my medical practice is limited exclusively to prescribing hormones for anti- aging, I am frequently asked about the risk of side effects.

There are risks in almost everything we do in life. We're constantly making decisions about which risks we're willing to take and which ones we want to avoid. Freeway driving entails risks, but you accept hose risks to gain the benefit of rapid commuting. You accept the risks of air travel in exchange for the benefits of extraordinary speed and convenience. Even "little" decisions like whether or not to ski or play tennis require he acceptance of some degree of risk.

There are risks in almost everything we do in life. We're constantly making decisions about which risks we're willing to take and which ones we want to avoid. Freeway driving entails risks, but you accept hose risks to gain the benefit of rapid commuting. You accept the risks of air travel in exchange for the benefits of extraordinary speed and convenience. Even "little" decisions like whether or not to ski or play tennis require he acceptance of some degree of risk.

Evaluating risk/benefit ratios is part of every doctor's routine practice, and it is a major consideration in almost every decision we make in treating our patients. There are risks to every surgery we perform and every medication we prescribe. We take that responsibility seriously, being ever mindful of our Hippocratic Oath in which we vow to "do no harm." Living up to that oath can be challenging, however, because absolutely nothing in the medical world is entirely isk-free. It is important to understand, however, that the vast majority of the problems associated with hormones are caused by low hormone levels, not by supplementation.

It is now clearly understood that health, energy, beauty, vitality and sexuality are dependent upon certain essential hormones that your body produces. If any of those hormones are deficient, your body suffers negative effects such as: softer, smaller muscles; excess body fat; low libido; diminished sexual performance; low energy; thin, inelastic, wrinkled skin; insomnia and poor memory. Hormones can be deficient at any age and everybody's hormones decline with age. Fortunately, restoring your hormones to optimum levels makes it possible to reverse all of those undesirable signs and symptoms.

Although questions have been raised regarding the risks of possible side effects from the use of hormones, research and studies have proven that when hormones are at the proper levels (neither too high nor too low) unwanted side effects are rare. On the other hand, if hormone deficiency is not corrected, damage to your body and progressive deterioration is inevitable. No one is immune to the negative effects of aging.

Hormone restoration differs significantly from standard drug treatment for disease, because-with hormones-one size does not it all. When prescribing hormones, your physician must customize the prescription to meet your unique needs. Determining which hormones to replenish, how much of each to prescribe and how to keep all of these hormones working in harmony requires testing and careful supervision by a physician who specializes in this treatment.

My medical practice is limited exclusively to helping men and women delay or reverse the negative effects of hormone deficiency by restoring their hormones to optimum levels. Through consultation and testing I am able to quickly and accurately evaluate your hormone status. If it is determined that you have hormone deficiencies and would benefit from supplementation, I will customize a plan based on your specific needs. I will arrange to have your prescriptions delivered directly to you, will closely monitor your progress, arrange for convenient periodic tests to make sure that your prescriptions are perfect and will provide easy to understand, written reports to keep you fully informed at all times.

Practicing medicine for over 40 years has taught me to be very objective in evaluating medical information. I have thoroughly and carefully reviewed the available facts regarding hormones for men and women. In my judgment, for most people the negative effects of not using hormones significantly outweigh the potential risks of using hormones. Of course, the final decision of whether or not to use supplemental hormones is yours. The first step in making that decision is to find out if you have hormone deficiencies and learn if you might benefit from supplementation. I encourage you to take that first step.

To learn more about his program, contact Dr. London at 310-270-4500 or drgarylondon@msn.com.