Hormones act as the body’s internal communication system and play a critical role in mood regulation, menopause symptoms, and bone protection. Research shows that women who start hormone therapy closer to menopause (like in their early 50s) may have a lower risk of heart disease than those who begin later.

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

Hormone therapy is a treatment that uses hormones to alleviate menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. It is also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy (PMHT).

It is best to start HRT during perimenopause when the symptoms of hormonal imbalance first appear. Taking hormone therapy on time can help to ease the transition into menopause and prevent health problems like osteoporosis and heart disease.

HRT consists of medicine with female hormones that are taken orally or applied on the skin to treat menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal discomfort. It can be in the form of estrogen only or in combination with progestin. Women who have a uterus should take a progestin as well to reduce their risk of uterine cancer, which increases with estrogen alone.

Research shows that long-term use of combined HRT increases the risk for certain health problems, such as stroke and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs). However, these risks are reduced when the doses are low and the medicine is used for only the shortest period of time.

What is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT)?

Bioidentical hormones are made from plant and animal products to match the types of hormones your body makes naturally. Your doctor can prescribe bioidentical hormones as pills, creams, gels and vaginal inserts for a hormone therapy treatment called BHRT.

Many BHRT medicines are FDA-approved, such as the estrogens Estrace and Alora and the progesterone medicine sold in Australia and NZ as Prometrium. Some BHRT medicines are also compounded in pharmacies that custom mix drugs to meet a specific patient’s needs. These medications are referred to as ‘compounded bioidentical hormones’ or ‘cBHT’. They are advertised as a safer, more natural and individualized alternative to FDA-approved menopause hormone therapies. However, these claims are unproven. Compounded cBHT medicines are not subject to the same quality standards as FDA-approved menopause hormones and may vary in dose and purity from batch to batch.

Some women have side effects when they begin a hormone treatment, but they usually get better as their bodies adjust to the new levels of hormones. A few women can experience weight gain when taking bioidentical hormones, especially if they take estrogen and not progestin.

What are the Benefits of HRT?

Women who use HRT report relief from hot flashes and night sweats. However, it has not been shown to ease other menopause symptoms such as vaginal dryness, fatigue and headaches. Nonhormonal medicines that are not hormones—such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and gabapentin—may help relieve these symptoms.

The type of hormones and their dosage are key factors in how well they work to ease menopause symptoms. Your healthcare provider will discuss your options and suggest the best form of therapy based on your symptoms, health history and preferences.

You can take hormones in a systemic form—via a pill, patch, gel or spray—or as local therapy in the form of a cream, ring, or tablet (tablets that melt inside your uterus). If you have had a hysterectomy, your doctor will recommend estrogen-only therapy instead of combination therapy because it has fewer long-term risks.

Estrogen and progesterone hormones play a role in temperature regulation throughout the body, which is why hot flashes and night sweats occur as you approach or go through menopause. Taking hormones supplements can help alleviate these symptoms and improve your quality of life.

What are the Risks of HRT?

Taking hormones can increase your risk of blood clots and gallbladder disease, but it depends on what kind of HRT you take, how long you take it and whether you have other health conditions. There’s also a small increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer when you take combined estrogen and progestogen, but this can be lower with low doses and when started before age 60.

Hormone therapy can cause mood changes, such as irritability or depression. These usually go away with time, but if you have severe mood swings, talk to your doctor. They may suggest medications or a referral for emotional support.

You can get HRT in many forms, including a patch that sticks to your skin, a gel you put on your skin and a spray or pill you swallow. Some HRT has both oestrogen and progestogen (this is called continuous-combined therapy) and some is just estrogen (oestrogen-only). Your provider will choose the type that’s best for you based on your symptoms, health history and preferences.

What are the Side Effects of HRT?

When you start hormone therapy, your ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. This causes menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal bleeding and mood changes. HRT replaces those hormones and can relieve symptoms. Your healthcare provider will recommend a type of HRT that’s best for you, based on your symptoms and medical history. You can take estrogen and progesterone together as combination therapy or estrogen alone as estrogen therapy. Your healthcare provider will also discuss how to use the medication: It may come in a patch that sticks to your skin, gel you apply to your skin or a pill. If you have a uterus, your provider will prescribe progestin to go with the estrogen because it reduces your risk of uterine cancer by blocking certain hormones.

Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that control the way different cells and organs work. Different types of hormones have different side effects. It’s important to report any new or worsening side effects to your healthcare team right away, even if they don’t seem related to your hormone therapy.

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Understanding the Role of HGH Fragments in Anti-Aging

Growth hormone (GH) is a 191-amino acid peptide that stimulates cell proliferation and cell regeneration, stimulating production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which has well-documented growth-stimulatory effects. Circulating GH declines progressively and markedly with normal aging, and inhibiting this decline with a GH secretagogue has been shown to improve quality of life and longevity.

Increased Muscle Growth

HGH is known for its ability to increase muscle mass, boost metabolism and promote fat loss. But its natural production tends to decline with age, leading to muscle wasting and other signs of aging. This is where HGH fragments come in to help.

This makes it a key peptide in weight loss and metabolic studies.

Another important function of HGH is its ability to stimulate bone cell growth. This is especially important for older individuals who are at risk of osteoporosis. In studies, hGH has been shown to improve bone density and speed up the healing process after an injury.

Lastly, hGH 191AA has also been shown to accelerate protein turnover, which can improve muscle repair and recovery. This is particularly important for athletes and those who exercise regularly.

The researchers behind this study found that the 176th to 191st peptide sequence of hGH enhanced binding of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin to HER2 receptors and MiB proteins in a cancer cell model. In addition, chitosan nanoparticles loaded with both hGH 191AA and doxorubicin showed favorable physicochemical properties and enhanced cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells compared to unloaded samples.

Increased Fat Loss

Research into hGH fragments has suggested that the amino acids from 176th to 191st in the human growth hormone chain may be able to encourage fat cell consumption. It has also been speculated that this peptide can potentiate glucose metabolism, and that it may disturb the normal management of glycogen synthase.

While aging decreases natural growth hormone production, it is possible to reverse this effect with peptide therapy. Sermorelin is a synthetic growth hormone-releasing factor that stimulates your pituitary gland to produce more of its own hGH, and it has shown to be a safe and effective treatment for idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in children and aging adults. This peptide has been known to deliver enhanced energy, increased muscle mass, improved fat loss and other benefits.

Another popular option for anti-aging and fat loss is AOD 9604. This short peptide has a unique structure that allows it to promote increased IGF-1 levels without raising blood sugar or causing joint pain. It was originally developed as an anti-obesity drug, but its use has since expanded to include wellness treatments at integrative clinics. This peptide has also been found to restore gut health, repair ligaments and tendons, improve neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders, and reduce inflammation and anxiety. It is a great complement to Ipamorelin, as it can help to increase the effects of this peptide on improving muscle mass and fat loss.

Increased Energy

HGH Fragments can give your body the energy it needs in the face of ageing. They can help to boost your metabolism, which will in turn help you to burn fats and gain muscle mass. These peptides can also help to improve your athletic performance.

Another benefit of hGH fragments is that they can increase the production of IGF-1. This growth factor helps to stimulate the growth of muscle cells and can be especially useful in aging populations or individuals at risk of osteoporosis. HGH Fragments can also promote lipolysis, which is the breakdown of fats into usable energy.

A secretagogue is a natural amino acid chain that acts to encourage the production and release of a particular chemical in the body, such as hormones or enzymes. Secretagogues can be ingested orally, which will trigger the pituitary gland to release human growth hormone. They can also be applied to the skin, which will stimulate collagen synthesis locally.

Studies have found that hGH’s 176-191 amino-terminus has an impact on glycogen synthase management, which can affect the regulation of glucose. This is why it is often used by bodybuilders to enhance their muscles and increase their endurance. It has also been shown to have anti-aging effects and increase memory retention.

Improved Sleep

As you age, your GH production naturally slows down, leading to poorer quality sleep. However, if you use substances like Sermorelin to coax your pituitary gland into releasing its own natural growth hormone, this could improve your sleeping habits. Many clients report more restful sleep, better next-day energy levels and even more muscle definition after using this peptide.

It was discovered in the 1970’s that a form of hGH known as methionyl growth hormone (MGF) was just as effective as regular pituitary hGH in promoting linear growth. It did this by reducing blood urea nitrogen, increasing serum phosphorous and alkaline phosphate and raising the level of somatomedin C in the body.

In addition to enhancing cellular metabolic functions, MGF has been shown to have neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties. This is due to its ability to increase the levels of BDNF and TrkB mRNA expression in the hippocampal and prefrontal regions of the brain. This means that it reduces the degeneration of neurons associated with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, as well as protecting against depression and preventing memory loss (64).

This is because the 176-191 fragment binds strongly to the progesterone receptor, as well as to the estrogen and HER2 cell surface proteins. It also enhances the binding of doxorubicin to these receptors, which in turn increases its cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cells.