10 Ten Bioidentical Hormone Fallacies of Staness Jonekos

A recent article on hormones for menopause caught my attention. I was puzzled by the fact that the author, Staness Jonekos, has no medical credentials, training or even a rudimentary knowledge of biological science. Rather, she is an actress with a theater arts degree from UCLA. She chronicled her menopause experience with a book and blog entitled Menopause Makover. To make up for her lack of medical knowledge, Staness joined up with Wendy Klein MD , an academic physician who advocates synthetic, chemically altered hormones (progestins), and SSRI antidepressants for menopausal symptoms.  The latest article by the two women, "10 Hormone Therapy Facts ", is a compilation of nonsense, falsehoods, and half truths, with a hidden agenda  promoting the synthetic hormone industry by maligning natural bioidentical hormones.

Above left image: Bioidentical Hormones represented by Natural Redhead  courtesy of wikimedia commons.

10 Ten Hormone Facts should be renamed 10 Ten Hormone Fallacies

Firstly, the Jonekos article maligns bioidentical hormones as unregulated, non-FDA approved and not supported by science. These claims against bioidentical hormones are  false, and are a smokescreen to hide the really scary fact that synthetic hormones are monsters that cause cancer and heart disease, as shown in the Women's Health Initiative study.

Secondly, the article tries to confuse the difference between bioidentical hormones and synthetic, chemically altered hormones made by the pharmaceutical industry. Do not be confused, they are very different. Synthetic hormones are chemically altered monsters that cause cancer and heart disease. Bioidentical hormones are identical to hormones found naturally in the human body, the safe and effective choice.
 
Left Image: Synthetic Hormones are Monster Creations.  Boris Karlof  in The Bride of Frankenstein 1935, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thirdly the article contradicts itself in number 7, stating that blood testing is not needed, while the author earlier reported that blood testing revealed a high estrogen level. Obviously, blood testing was needed.

Fourth, the article quotes the Menopause and Endocrine Societies as authorities without revealing their financial ties to the synthetic hormone makers such as Wyeth.

Fifth, the author says that bioidentical hormones did not work for her. Quite to the contrary, millions of women use bioidentical hormones every day for relief of menopausal symptoms and quality of life. Bioidentical hormones work quite well.

Sixth, After ranting that bioidentical hormones don't work, the author reports they DO work, and she uses estradiol, a bioidentical hormone.  Estrogen alone without progesterone causes increased risk of endometrial cancer. This important information is omitted from the article, possibly harming women readers who accept Staness as a medical authority, incorrectly concluding that estrogen without progesterone is acceptable.  It is not acceptable, and is a disservice to women.

 In Conclusion

This "10 Facts" article is a mixture of nonsense, falsehood and half truth. The quality of information reflects the authors credentials, which are none, other than briefly visiting a few doctors for symptoms of hormonal imbalance. The medical information appearing in the article comes from Dr Wendy Klein, regurgitated drug company propaganda advocating synthetic chemically altered “monster” hormones and SSRI antidepressants for menopause, performing a disservice to women.  A safer, more effective alternative is bioidentical hormone therapy.

A Plea to Staness Jonekos

Rather than rely on biased advice from Wendy Klein, who advocates synthetic hormones and SSRI antidepressants for menopause, I suggest you find a more balanced viewpoint by interviewing well known medical experts such as David Brownstein, Kent Holtorf,  Bruice Kenton,  Sangeeta Pati, C. W. Randolf, Erika Schwartz, and Jonathan Wright . Read their books, web sites and call them.

A plea to Dr Wendy Klein and all other supplicants to the drug companies:  Join with Marcia Angell in her crusade to free medical academia from the drug company money which has corrupted medical eduication and research.  Read Marcia Angell's talk given at Harvard University on December 10, 2009, outlining the way forward.  I call on you to renounce synthetic hormones and antidepressants for menopause as a disservice to women.  Join with thousands of your colleagues who have embraced bioidentical hormones. 

A plea to all others: The history of modern medicine is replete with the medical victimization of women.  A few discarded examples are: radical mastectomy, excessive hysterectomies, and bone marrow transplant for breast cancer.  Synthetic hormones belong on that list. The latest medical hoax is SSRI antidepressants for hot flashes.  Take back control of your bodies. Do not allow yourselves to be victims of synthetic hormones and antidepressants for menopausal symptoms.  The proper treatment is bioidentical hormone therapy. To find a bioidentical hormone doctor in your area, click here for the doctor's directory, AHMA , ACAM , A4M .  

Read More at original article:
http://jeffreydach.com/2010/06/27/10-ten-bioidentical-hormone-fallacies-of-staness-jonekos.aspx

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Links and References:

10 Hormone Therapy Facts Every Woman Should Know by Staness Jonekos
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/staness-jonekos/10-hormone-therapy-facts_b_615199.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19179815/
http://www.iacprx.org/site/DocServer/HoltorfStudy_Jan09_PostgraduateMedicine.pdf?docID=5841

Postgrad Med. 2009 Jan;121(1):73-85. The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estradiol, estriol, and progesterone) safer or more efficacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replacement therapy? Holtorf K. Holtorf Medical Group, Inc., Torrance, CA 90505, USA

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The reader is advised to discuss the comments on these pages with his/her personal physicians and to only act upon the advice of his/her personal physician. Also note that concerning an answer which appears as an electronically posted question, I am NOT creating a physician -- patient relationship. Although identities will remain confidential as much as possible, as I can not control the media, I can not take responsibility for any breaches of confidentiality that may occur.

Read More at original article article:
http://jeffreydach.com/2010/06/27/10-ten-bioidentical-hormone-fallacies-of-staness-jonekos.aspx