Hi Beth sure! The FB group is
BHRT and HRT for Women Over 60: NEVER TOO LATE. I am finding it interesting although as yet I am not on it. I too am concerned (petite and 65 years old) of OP. I try to sty on top of health Tuesday had ultrasound breastscreen (no mammograms for me) and yesterday Has a stress echo. Every year I get the basics checked - thyroid, lipids, renal, liver. Like you I am interested in prevention. I read many books- just finished The Age Code which was quite good.
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I had 2 DEXAs done - in 2022 and 2024. The third is coming in November. So far I have mild osteopenia - T score -1.6. No medication needed. It’s interesting that there were no changes between 2022 and 2024. I’m 71. Women in their early 70s typically lose 0.5–1% per year at the spine and 0.3–0.7% per year at the hip. My actual loss was less than average, especially in the hips. I’m not on HRT (don’t have any symptoms that would benefit from it) and do not supplement calcium. Take vit D and K2, CitraTabs (potassium/magnesium citrate), exercise (vibration platform). Hope the next DEXA will be also good.
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“from the stage” its said Extradiol at 90 is the min levels to prevent osteo and be heart protective. Too many symptom management dosing of total estradiol often via the near useless Bi-est or worse Tri-est do not raise Estradiol enough to be protective of anythiing except for minor help for hot flashes.
This is why self testing and sites llike Him-Hers et al are going strong.
I’m not commenting re coinsiding cancers…
Blood testing: dirtcheaplabs.com. The $275 is a good bet. The cheaper is missing some important tests IMHO. Then hormones at: hormonesforme.com
Good luck women / men re getting your hormones up to 45yr old levels. IE near the top of the “range” in a blood test. I say “top of the range” because the ranges are taken from the ave values seen in each 1/4 of the country meaning South Eastern blood test values scene are averaged and given as your “range” meaning sick as dogs Southerners who get blood tested give the “range”. So the range represents sick ranges IMHO not healthy ranges.
Good luck, curt
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@LaraPo “no symptoms that would benefit”
Every cell has testosterone and estrogen receptors. Especially the brain…
Lots to search for in youtube re the benefits of maintaining hormones including thyroid at 45yr old levels till death. I add GLP-1, at micro dosing to the hormones that have much health value maintaining.
Best to all, curt
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No doubt that maintaining youthful level of hormones is of paramount importance. And for the brain too. But how to do it? I would never do it without of an MD involved. My PCP doesn’t advise that I start hormones. Luckily I don’t have any usual post menopausal symptoms yet, and because I’m 71 already I can only hope it stays that way. Bones are my primary concern even with mild osteopenia. Will test Estradiol with Goodlabs.
I’m not sure at 71 there is a huge point in testing. The WHI was pretty clear that starting estrogen or estrogen and progesterone over age 65 raised the incidence of dementia by over 30% by memory. AI who has a better memory than me says 38-100%.
Now there maybe some flaws in the WHI but I wouldn’t throw out those kind of numbers.
If you were very high risk of osteoporosis and very low risk of Alzheimer’s, I guess. But there are lots of other options for osteoporosis.
As far as the SE United States and hormone levels, I both take offense and challenge this. Western societies are a little lower than healthier societies for sure. Obesity rates are actually highest in the Midwest but there isn’t that much regional differences anymore. And BMI would be the primary driver in the US most likely.of variable testosterone levels.
Canada has lower testosterone that the US and lower obesity rates so there maybe something about northern latitudes. I could find no source with testosterone levels by region on the US. The differences between average levels in the US vs Europe is essentially a rounding error.
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Exactly what my PCP said and I agree on that but will still test just to have an idea of my numbers. According to an AI evaluation of my tests I’m very unlikely to cross into osteoporosis.
Doctors are often out of touch. A fantastic book on the topic is Oestrogen Matters: Why taking hormones in menopause can improve and lengthen women’s lives - without raising the risk of breast cancer, by Dr Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris, 2024. Good luck.
Thank you. I have read this and found it helpful. Have tried various providers but no one will prescribe. At this point thinking I may wait til patches become available. Order from India. Meanwhile taking DHEA. But also considering Evinity.
I am in a similar situation with my wife, and we also looking for providers abroad. Please be sure to post if you find a foreign supplier.
Hi Deborah,
I just joined the community, my first post here.
Are you familiar with Ray Peat studies? There used to be ray peat forum where I got to know about rapamycin and it brought me here.
Anyway, Ray Peat was a big advocate of bioidentical progesterone. Was the one you were taking for 26 years bioidentical? It’s very important. If it was synthetic, then it basically acts as estrogen.
During pregnancy women produce massive amounts of progesterone because it protects both the baby and future mother… progesterone is also very pro hair.
Anyway, the way I understand it is that generally and I mean generally women are more estrogen dominant, not progesterone dominant. Progesterone is also the first hormone that drops as you get older but we keep on producing estrogen. Also, as you get older estrone increases which is more inflammatory hormone.
Have you recently tested estradiol and progesterone? Actually, you can’t even adequately test for estrogen because it’s bound in your tissues.
Anyway, if I were you I would test at least for progesterone. Not sure, how old you are and if you have period. If you do then, you want to test in your peak luteal phase. I would start there.
Also, somebody suggested vitamin D +k2. I would take it as well.Hope it helps.
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@LaraPo Apologies, I can’t resist every op to bash MD’s the AMA and their archaic and anti-health, pro-ageing accelerating protocols and STD of Care!!! Dump the MD is my urge, please.
At least an ND at a concerge Functional clinic that lists HRT in their services. MDs are NOT on top of what is now the latest “settled science”…
Otherwise most women and men are left with best info on youtube, self testing and one of the dozen order via an emailed in blood test get topical hormones mailed back clinics. These DIY folks are miles ahead for their own health and wellbeing. Otherwise they’d not be using this DIY method, right?
FWIW I was totally against pellets. But some science finds that for those who topical T and E doesn’t absorb or result in well being, those individules find pellets work better. Which asks why not pellets for all. Im on injected T was on topical T, and oral progesterone and thryoid via NP-thyroid a desciated.
Best to all, curt
I hear you, Curt, and appreciate your perspective, but I’m personally more comfortable staying within evidence‑based medicine. My PCP is an MD I trust, and he knows my full medical history, medications, and risk profile. For me that context matters more than generalized hormone‑optimization theories or DIY approaches. I’m not opposed to learning from different sources but I’m not going to start or adjust hormones without a physician who practices within established clinical guidelines. We all have our own levels of risk we’re willing to accept. “Don’t harm yourself” has become my motto — and I wish I had followed it with the same diligence earlier. Best to you too, Lara.
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It sounds like you need to find a functional medicine dr who can run your hormone levels and can subscribe Compound Pharmacy Hormone Replacement Therapy for what you need for the best absorption of calcium to help with the Bone Loss so you don’t have enough of the gas and your system won’t equal calcium from losing.
There’s three different estrogens you can go on one has more side effects then the other.
I have to take a bunch of different hormones since I don’t have any in my body due to surgery I had in my early 30’s so I totally understand the bone loss issues and have currently stopped the lost ans trying to regain it back if possible at this point in my life. I have a dr if you are in the Washington DC metro area if you need one? Dr. Afrooz at Be the Change Wellness +1 (301) 970-9724
I am only using the Rapamycin 3mg weekly along with calcium/magnesium, /Vit D3 w/K and hormones and Taurine, Creatine, collagen only been on the Rapamycin for almost a yr. And saw results in my screen after 6 months so giving me hope.
You can also look up this dr she has a lot of books on understanding your bone markers and things you can change in your diet and she is big into the different bone loss meds you can take. I just had a bad reaction and false sense that it was working and didn’t like all the side effects of the current meds that are off and why I went with the Rapamycin, after braking my wrist.
Here is her name (Dr. Lani Simpson) and she will give you what you need to be looking at and doing.
Also you need to stick with one place to do all of your bone screen done the information will not transfer, so you will be starting at ground zero, this is bad when you have loss bone. It is nothing like mammograms so be aware of this. I go to a big hospital for mind Johns Hopkins.
Hope this help you.
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Have you considered Duavive (Duavee in the States)? It seems to have potential, but currently most data is on post-menopausal women.
It replaces HRT (estrogen+progesterone) and eliminates the need to use progestines, since it contains conjugated estrogens+bazedoxifene.
I’m premenopausal, on HRT, and progesterone really helps with the sleep, but thinking of switching to Duavive. There’s very limited to no data on my age group, and it would be off label, but I’ll probably experiment.
My lifetime breast cancer risk was estimated to be at 22-30% if on HRT, by a genetic clinician. I think Duavive could lower that. Or could not lol