How to Have a Healthy Heart / The Menopause Profile

submitted by Dr. Gary Farr Last Updated June, 2, 2004

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The Menopause Profile

Menopause is normal and natural. It is your body changing and maturing.

But unfortunately, it is perceived by many women only as an ominous midlife challenge. There is a common misconception that "the change" begins a time of inevitable and prolonged discomfort and a declining quality of life.

The reality is that menopause only marks the end of your childbearing years. You are entering a phase of life when your body's energy shifts from a monthly preoccupation with possible childbirth to maintaining a steady state of energy focused on supporting you alone. In a healthy state there should be plenty of energy available to support an active, productive, and inspired life. The Menopause Profile can detect WHY menopause is a problem for you.

To make an informed choice before you do anything, get the information you need about your hormone levels with Great Smokies' Menopause Profile. Here's why.

Hormone Replacement: Is It Right For You?

Every woman needs to make this decision for herself. With the right information, you can weigh the pros and cons to make the best choice for your own body. What's good for one woman may not be good for another. Working together with a healthcare provider you trust and respect, you can decide whether diet, supplementation, and exercise are enough for you - or whether your risk for heart disease or osteoporosis makes other options more appropriate. Your personal and family history related to estrogen-stimulated cancers and conditions - breast and endometrial cancer, endometriosis - will also play an important part in the choices you make.

The goal of herbal and nutritional therapy for menopause is to assist with the adjustment to this important natural body change. It is often the case that herbs and nutritional supplements will need to be taken for a few years, but eventually the patient will adjust to her new post-menopausal estrogen levels and will be free of symptoms even when the herbs and whole food supplements are withdrawn.

One thing's for sure, though. Your body's chemistry has changed dramatically with menopause. And you need to find out how your body's hormones are reacting to this new phase of your life.

Great Smokies' state-of-the-art Menopause Profile determines your baseline hormone levels, so you can find out what your body needs - or doesn't need - and make a more informed decision about hormone replacement therapy. You can't afford to guess about what your body needs and the Menopause Profile will remove the guess work. The test is very thorough; it gives the normal ranges which are an excellent resource for establishing your baseline hormone levels and balance.

The Menopause Profile

The Menopause Profile is a saliva test that measures the hormones undergoing the most change during this time in a woman's life. Some of these are considered "male" or "female," but both men and women actually need all of these hormones. That's because hormones work together as a team. These include:

• The "female" estrogens: estriol, estradiol, and estrone, all of which can affect health throughout the body

• Progesterone, which balances the action of estrogen, serves as a precursor for other hormones, and plays an important role in mood, blood sugar balance, libido, and thyroid function, as well as adrenal gland health

• The "male" hormone testosterone, which helps to maintain lean body mass, bone density, skin elasticity, blood cell production, and libido

How Hormone Levels Change

After menopause, levels of estradiol and progesterone decline in women. This drop in estrogen may increase a woman's rate of bone loss and her risk of heart disease. With less estrogen influence, her skin can age a little more quickly, and vaginal dryness can occur.

The decline in estradiol also affects levels of the other estrogens, as well as progesterone and testosterone. Levels of estrone, the dominant hormone after menopause, and estriol may affect your risk for breast and endometrial cancer. Progesterone is important because it helps keep estrogen from overstimulating surface layers of tissue within the uterus and breast. Testosterone does its part by encouraging lean muscle, the kind your heart needs to stay healthy.

Additional Hormones

The comprehensive version of the Menopause Profile also tests a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands when stress occurs. This can be a good thing when we need energy or are in danger. But too much can put a strain on the heart, suppress immune function, and lead to bone loss. The high rate of wear and tear can exhaust the body's natural defense against cancer. Some people experience chronic fatigue and mood swings with long periods of cortisol over-production. DHEA works with the other hormones to prevent early aging. It balances out the stimulating hormones and helps prevent wear and tear in the body.

Melatonin

Melatonin regulates many of your body's natural rhythms. It declines with age, and low levels can interfere with the normal pattern of sleep. Melatonin also functions as an antioxidant and has cancer-fighting properties.

Sample Case Test

Adrenal Stress Profile Melatonin Profile Menopause Profile

This sample case test shows a 55 year-old female complaining of severe hot flashes. I have made the images clickable so you can see the actual graphs presented in the report. You may also download the entire report at this link (Adobe Acrobat reader is required).

Adrenal Stress Profile

In her particular case, there was stress to the adrenal glands as shown by her excessive amounts of DHEA. The test also indicated the possibility of hypoglycemia and excessive emotional stress that she was not handling well.

Excessive Melatonin

She also showed high morning melatonin levels. This may be due to prolonged nocturnal (night) production of melatonin, and/or late onset of its production. High melatonin levels may bring about a lack of ovulation in women as well as decreased body temperature.

Menopause Profile

The Menopause Profile measures the levels of progesterone, testosterone, and the three forms of estrogen in your body, estradiol, estrone, and estriol. All of these measurements reflect the amount of hormone directly available to the body,
 

Your Body Is Trying To Tell You Something

The early signs of hormone deficiency and imbalance may not seem to be serious threats to your health now. You may even think they're a natural effect of getting older. But over time - and in combination with other conditions - hormone imbalances can lead to serious illness. Some of these illnesses, such as osteoporosis and cancer, only get your attention when it's too late to prevent them.

Restore Balance and Feel Better

Healthy hormone function isn't a miraculous fountain of youth. But, guided by accurate assessment using Great Smokies' Menopause Profile, you can determine your hormone status and have an accurate baseline for making decisions about your future.

Before you do anything, get the information you need about your hormone levels with Great Smokies' Comprehensive Menopause Profile.

Ask Yourself:
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you should talk with us about the Comprehensive Menopause Profile.

• Can't sleep when you need to, exhausted when you need to be alert?
  
• Do you have joint pain that won't go away?
• Feeling weak all the time?
• Can't lose that extra weight?
• Concerned about low libido?
• Anxious or depressed?
• Having mood swings you can't explain?
• Have you noticed increased facial hair?
• Been under a lot of stress for a long time?
• Recently embarrassed by incontinence?
• Have any family members suffered from osteoporosis or heart disease?
• Is there a family history of breast cancer?

We Are Here to Help

Our goal is to help your body effectively manage a smooth and natural hormone transition while it supports the function of key organs. We want to assist you through the midlife challenge by applying a clear understanding of the dynamic relationship between nutrition, lifestyle, and female hormones. Our nutritional program focus is uniquely feminine. It's scientific, yet natural. It's rational. It's functional. And it's safe. The practical application of this knowledge will help you look and feel your best. Remember, we are here to help you, so please do not hesitate to ask for more information.

For prices and purchasing information regarding the Menopause Profile click

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