Exhale
The official blog of the Lung Institute.
It’s okay. That quizzical look that you have right now is pretty common when people learn about bioidentical hormones. So let’s go ahead and answer the biggest question in the room, what exactly are bioidentical hormones? The term bioidentical hormones doesn’t actually have an exact medical definition, but health experts usually define bioidentical hormones as compounds that have the same chemical and molecular structure as those produced in the human body.
Bioidentical hormones are created in a laboratory by altering compounds derived from naturally occurring plant products and are typically taken in the form of creams or gels. There has been increasing interest in recent years in the use of this type of hormone therapy for premenopausal women instead of conventional hormone therapy with synthetic hormones. Some bioidentical hormone preparations are U.S. FDA-approved and manufactured by drug companies, while others are made at special pharmacies called compounding pharmacies.
Bioidentical hormones have commonly been associated for the treatment of woman with menopause. In some cases, it has been promoted by practitioners as an anti-aging medicine—although there is little information if this actually works. In the last few years though, bioidentical hormones have been researched to see if this application can be adapted for the treatment of other diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). So, can bioidentical hormones treat COPD?
What Does Research Say About Bioidentical Hormones Treating COPD?
COPD is a progressive form of lung disease ranging from mild to severe. It is characterized by a restriction of airflow into and out of the lungs that makes breathing difficult. COPD is the umbrella term for sufferers who have been diagnosed with or show signs of emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis. So does this treatment help with patients with COPD?
According to an article published online, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) was actually used to see if lung function/tissue could be healed with a boost in estrogen. The study was only used on female rats that had both issues with low estrogen and severe lung damage. Researchers discovered that there was a difference in the rats that were supplied with bioidentical hormones compared to the female rats that did not. The rats that were provided with the hormones showed improved estrogen levels and a recovery in some lung function. The study goes on to say that there is a direct correlation in woman with low estrogen and lung diseases like COPD.
While some bioidentical hormones are approved by the FDA, more research is needed to understand the use of this application on patients with COPD. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung disease such as COPD and want to learn more about treatment options, please contact or call (800) 729-3065 today.
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