Do you have a hormone deficiency?

 Both men and women need testosterone for optimal health.  Testosterone is needed for libido, muscle, leanness, and sense of well being.  Menopausal women have low to non-detectable testosterone levels with resultant loss of libido and increase in body fat.  Return of libido and improved mood return within days of testosterone replacement by transdermal cream.  Regrowth of muscle and bone can occur within months and is facilitated be a weight resistance training program. 

The testosterone level in males peaks at age 17 and declines 1% per year thereafter.  A middle-aged male can therefore have a testosterone level 40% below his peak in sex binding globulins, which make the lowered testosterone that is present even less effective.  Loss of testosterone in males leads to atherosclerosis and heart attacks, obesity, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and increased mortality.

These symptoms come on long before the male loses his sex drive or becomes impotent.  There is no evidence that testosterone replacement therapy in males causes prostate cancer of prostate enlargement.  In fact, some Urologists-Oncologists say that testosterone may decrease the incidence of prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer.  Dr. Borgardt uses topical testosterone replacement as an essential part of its Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) program for both men and women based on patient's total and free testosterone levels and their levels of sex binding globulins.*

• Fatigue
• Loss of muscle strength
• Reduced libido
• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Erectile dysfunction
• Prostate problems
• Low sperm count
• Depression/anxiety
• Reduced muscle mass
• Memory impairment
• Impaired blood cell formation
• Reduced cognitive functions

•  Boosts male and female libido
• Facilitates a healthy heart
• Helps fight osteoporosis
• Fights fat
• Increases muscle mass
• Increases energy and vitality
• Increases aerobic activity
• Thickens skin
• Improves sleep
• Decreases body fat
• Increases muscle strength and improves appearance
• Improves sense of well being and mood
• Decreases cardiovascular risk
• Effects can be equivalent of reversing 10 years of aging

Estrogen is an essential sex hormone that declines abruptly in women during menopause.   Estrogen replacement therapy significantly delays or prevents this accelerated aging process seen in women following menopause.  In fact, women who take estrogen replacement have half the degenerative diseases of women who do not take estrogen replacement and live an average of 3.5 years longer.  What is even more amazing, is that these positive statistics are with those patients on Premarin (non-human estrogen taken from the urine of pregnant horses).  

Dr. Borgardt uses only natural estrogen replacement which has been shown to be safer than Premarin.  He measures estradiol levels and adjusts dosages to pre-menopausal levels.  We have every reason to believe that the anti-aging effects of natural estrogen will be even better than with horse estrogen, but without the side effects. 

When women do not initiate a prompt estrogen replacement program at the time of menopause, they undergo accelerated aging manifested by :

• Osteoporosis
• Risk of senility
• Heart disease
• Loss of muscle mass
• Loss of skin elasticity and thickness
• Atrophy of the female genitals
• Mood changes 

•  Relieves menopausal symptoms  
• Keeps female anatomy from atrophying
• Increases female life expectancy  
• Protects against coronary artery disease  
• Boosts brain function  
• Helps prevent osteoporosis and fractures 
• Protects against Alzheimer's disease  
• Improves skin and muscles
  

Progesterone is also a female sex hormone that keeps estrogen in balance and is therefore absolutely necessary in the female hormone replacement program regardless of whether the female has a uterus or not.  This concept is not understood by some physicians and this has lead to a increase in cancers of the uterus and breast in women on estrogen replacement alone.  Progesterone has  powerful anti-cancer properties.  In addition, progesterone facilitates the action of other hormones such as thyroid, testosterone, and endorphins.  Synthetic progesterone (Progestin) such as Provera lack many of the beneficial properties of Progesterone and in fact actually serve to increase LDL "the bad form of cholesterol".  Provera also does not have the beneficial effect that Progesterone has in increasing bone mass, reversing osteoporosis, and burning fat.  Provera has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer while Bio-Identical Progesterone has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer.   Dr. Borgardt uses natural Progesterone replacement in his female HRT program as indicated by the individual blood levels and symptoms. 

• Headaches or migraines
• Mood changes including anxiety and depression
• Low libido
• Hot flashes
• Irregular periods
• Painful or tender breasts

•  Natural antidepressant and tranquilizer  
• Improves female libido  
• Protects against cancer  
• Boosts thyroid action  
• Helps use fat rather than store it  
• Helps prevent osteoporosis

DHEA is produced by the  adrenal glands.  DHEA begins to drop when we are thirty years old and declines linearly until we die.  In fact, death ensues as soon as the DHEA levels hit zero.  Some people, therefore, use DHEA levels as a biomarker for aging.  DHEA plays a critical role in lowering our cholesterol, keeping our hearts healthy, minimizing fat deposition, preventing the development of diabetes, arthritis and senility.  Dr. Borgardt uses DHEA as an essential part of our treatment program and monitors sulfate levels to assure optimal DHEA levels. 

• Low libido
• Dry hair and skin
• Flabby muscles
• Fatigue

• Lowers blood cholesterol
• Improves heart health
• Slows onset or progression of diabetes
• Favorably impacts arthritis
• Reverses declining mental acuity

In 1994, the FDA authorized the use of Human Growth Hormone for adults.  For the first time, adults  are now able to have their age-related deficiency of this critical hormone replaced safely with natural, pharmaceutically produced Human Growth Hormone.  The result of HGH replacement are astounding.

Studies  have shown that Biomarkers of Aging (strength, reaction time, skin elasticity, vital capacity, tactile senses and others) can be improved.   Patient may experience 1% gain in lean muscle mass per month and 2%  loss of body fat per month.  Skin wrinkles and age spots can be  improved.  Sexual vitality may return.  We anticipate that with HGH replacement along with other indicated hormone replacement including nutrition and exercise, that we can now expect to live in excellent health.

• Decrease of sexual performance
• Difficulty concentration
• Fatigue
• Decreased muscle strength
  

• Increases bone mass  
• Increases skin elasticity 
• Enhances sexual performance  
• Improves quality of sleep  
• Lowers blood pressure  
• Thickens skin  
• Decreases sick days  
• Helps the body heal faster  
• Strengthens bones 
• Improves kidney functions  
• Boosts energy to youthful levels  
• Improves quality of life  
• Speeds recovery in heart patients  
• Weight loss, muscle gain
• Decreases the risk of congestive heart failure

 Melatonin  is produced by the pineal gland and is stimulated by darkness; this is why we have a release  of melatonin several hours after sundown.  Melatonin plays a crucial role in restful, restorative sleep, regulating our 24 hour sleep-wake cycle, and in facilitating our immune system.  

Studies have shown that melatonin increased the life span of mice by 25%.  Similar studies have shown melatonin reduced the risk of breast cancer in mice.  

Melatonin may also decrease the chance of other cancers such as prostate cancer in males. Melatonin is an extremely powerful antioxidant that is able to enter the mitocondria of cells and neutralize free radicals. 

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Anxiety

•  Restores youthful sleep patterns  
• Effectively treats jet lag  
• Boosts immune system  
• May have anti-cancer effects

 Pregnenolone  is produced from cholesterol and is the "grandmother hormone" of all  steroid hormones in the body.  Pregnenolone acts as a precursor to our  essential steroid hormones such as DHEA, testosterone, estrogen, glucocorticoids, mineralcorticoid and therefore an ample supply is  critical . We have seen deficiencies in the above hormones normalized just by adding Pregnenolone to the treatment regime.  

Pregnenolone  also has significant direct effects.  It is extremely important for optimal mental performance and is synthesized the supporting neuronal  cells in the brain.  Studies have shown that when Pregnenolone is administered, memory is enhanced and mood is improved.  Pregnenolone has  nerve growth factor ability and has been used in spinal cord injury  patients.  Dr. Borgardt uses Pregnenolone as an essential part of our  supplement program.

• Irritability
• Depression
• Lack of sexual desire
• Difficulty concentrating
• Migraines

• Precursor to many other hormones
• Fights the effects of fatigue and stress
• Relieves arthritis pain
• Improves heart disease
• Boosts the immune system
• Protects against coronary artery disease
• Improves mood and memory
• Essential to full brain function
• Protects against Alzheimer's disease

Thyroid hormone is essential for life.  Proper thyroid levels are needed for optimal functioning.  Conventional medicine replaces thyroid only when indirect  laboratory measurements indicate that it is low.  We preform more elaborate thyroid testing including measuring the free thyroid hormone, which is the active hormone available to the cells in our body.  In addition, we also carefully measure the basal body temperature which is the ultimate indicator of whether we are hyper or hypothyroid. Many times, replacement of human growth hormone or testosterone to more youthful levels creates a greater need for thyroid hormone.  In these cases, we add thyroid hormone replacement to our regime.

• Fatigue
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Muscle weakness
  

• Controls cell growth and metabolism  
• Helps with weight maintenance  
• Improves heart and vascular health  
• Renews energy  
• Improves concentration  
• Regulates body temperature