Counteract the Effects of Aging with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Healthy lifestyle habits have a vital role in determining how well you age. Wholesome daily choices can even offset genetic tendencies that affect aging. But they aren’t the only factors at play. 

Imbalanced hormones also contribute to aging throughout your body, and two of the most influential are estrogen and testosterone.

At Clarity Medical Group in Sherman Oaks, California, Sirisat Khalsa, MD, specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), restoring the hormonal balance you need to counteract aging. 

How hormones influence aging

Hormones influence every organ and control every vital function in your body. They’re so crucial that your body tightly regulates their blood levels, ensuring that you have enough to stay healthy.

However, several hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, naturally decline as you get older. Women and men experience similar effects, but not at the same pace. Testosterone levels slowly drop as men get older, while women face the abrupt changes caused by menopause.

Here are six ways low estrogen and testosterone lead to aging:

1. DNA and cells become damaged

Stress, exposure to toxins, aging, and unhealthy lifestyle habits harm your DNA and cellular health. The damage causes inflammation and interferes with cellular function, which is when aging begins. 

As cells gradually fail and cellular wastes accumulate, it affects your organs. Over time, poorly functioning organs cause chronic health conditions and age-related changes.

You may be surprised to learn that estrogen and testosterone have a role in cellular aging because they help regulate cellular death. The aging process speeds up as their levels decline.

2. Skin aging accelerates

Young, healthy skin depends on estrogen and testosterone because they activate the production of collagen, elastin, and other essential structures like blood vessels. 

As hormone levels drop, your skin thins out, loses moisture, and becomes fragile. These changes make you more vulnerable to wrinkles.

Many women experience dramatic skin changes after menopause. Skin aging can occur rapidly because collagen levels decline by 30% in the first five years after menopause.

3. Belly fat develops

Estrogen and testosterone regulate fat metabolism and determine where the body stores fat. A hormone deficiency makes you carry more fat around the waist. Unfortunately, abdominal fat increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

4. Bone loss increases

Without estrogen or testosterone, you produce less new bone and lose more existing bone. As a result, bone mass and strength decline, and you develop weak, brittle bones (osteoporosis). Low testosterone makes men more likely to develop osteoporosis, but their risk is small compared to women’s risk.

Only 4% of men over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, while the condition affects nearly 20% of women. Why? Because some women lose 20% of their bone mass within 5-7 years after menopause.

5. Muscles lose strength

Losing muscle mass and strength occurs with aging, but low hormone levels amplify the problem. You need estrogen and testosterone to build and repair muscles.

6. Memory lapses occur

Several hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, can travel into the brain, connect with specialized receptors, and trigger a specific response.

Receptors in the brain area regulating memory don’t trigger if your hormone levels are low. As a result, you experience memory loss and brain fog. Hormonal deficiencies also can impair attention and comprehension, can cause depression, and may contribute to dementia.

How bioidentical hormone replacement therapy counteracts aging

BHRT restores healthy hormone levels so they can once again regulate essential body functions. Balancing hormones with replacement therapy can prevent or reverse age-related changes.

We also work with you to identify other facets of your life that may contribute to aging and then create a customized plan supporting long-lasting vitality. Your care plan might include therapies that complement BHRT, such as anti-aging peptide therapy, medically supervised weight loss, and gut biome optimization.

Ready to fight aging?

You can’t stop time from passing, but you can take steps to counteract aging, restore energy, and boost your well-being. Request an appointment online or call Clarity Medical Group today to learn how bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can transform your life.