Females, hormones, and weight control:
An interview with Dr. Nisha Jackson
As early as their late 30s, women begin to
experience the physical changes of peri-menopause and
menopause. Along with the emotional roller-coaster ride and
hot-flashes, most women gain a substantial quantity of weight.
This has implications for your plaque-control program.
The two drug manufacturer sponsored studies of horse-derived
estrogens have given hormones a bad name. But there’s an
emerging consciousness that replacement of natural human
hormones may help subdue or reverse some menopausal phenomena,
including weight gain. Dr. Jackson’s deep experience in
managing hormonal changes using “bio-identical” preparations in
women may help you.
Dr. Nisha Jackson is a vocal advocate for
“bio-identical” hormone replacement, replacement of estrogen,
progesterone, and other human hormones using natural forms of
replacement. Many authorities like Dr. Jackson claim that
naturally-occurring human hormones are better for us, with less
side-effects and greater benefit.
Drug manufacturers like Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have opposed the
broad use of bio-identical hormones and have even tried to bar
their use through lobbying efforts at the FDA. (Wyeth is the
manufacturer of Premarin®, the popular horse estrogen
preparation.) They have not publicly stated their motivations
but you can put two and two together: a ban on bio-identical
hormones dispensed by a pharmacy would open the door for the
pharmaceutical industry to gain exclusive control over
distribution. Thankfully, this has not yet happened.
Dr. Jackson uses bio-identical hormones in her daily practice
and reports spectacular success in helping women feel better.
Her patients report feeling less depressed, more energetic,
have smoother skin texture, and lose weight more readily. Dr.
Jackson’s practice is mostly focused on women’s health, but
there are some lessons that can also be applied to men.
Hormonal shifts in women provoke questions like:
- “I’m eating the same and exercising the same. Why am I gaining weight?”
- “Where did my sex drive go?”
- “What can I do about irregular periods?”
- “How can I finally get a good night’s sleep?”
- “I feel so confused and depressed lately. What’s happening to me?”
Dr. Jackson has had great success in many, if not most, instances through her rational approach to hormone replacement. She is an advocate of individualization of hormone replacement, as she believes that much of the difficulty with hormone therapy arises from the one-size-fits-all approach used by many physicians. In our interview, Dr. Jackson imparts some of her experiences on how bio-identical hormone replacement can be used for weight loss, improvement in lipid and lipoprotein patterns, and, ultimately, reduction of heart disease risk.
INTERVIEW
TYP: Excess body weight is a common issue that triggers the
appearance of several lipoprotein abnormalities, particularly
reduced HDL and small LDL particles.
Weight reduction can therefore be a crucial part of many
women’s plaque control program. How can hormone replacement be
used to accelerate weight loss?
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