stress)
Elemental Markers (both nutrient and toxic elements)
Available SNPs – MTHFR, COMT, TNF-α, and APOE
Mercury – Heavy metal Home Test Kit Heavy metal testing is good to distinguish if there might be a cause for your fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, low sex drive, and underperforming thyroid.
UK:
https://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/osumex-heavy-metal-test-kit-general-kit
US:
https://drclarkstore.com/heavy-metals-test-kit-general/
Genetic Telomere Testing – Hormone / Thyroid Testing https://www.spectracell.com
Telomeres distinguish your biological age and help you to optimise your health
It’s also a good company to order your Hormone and Thyroid Tests
Libido Health
Die Test is aimed at your Libido Health
http://www.mylibidohealth.com/laboratorytesting.html
Two tests are offered:
Neuroendocrine Test to figure out your sex hormones
Peri-menopausal and Menopausal Saliva Tests
Genetic Metabolic Testing
This test analyses your metabolism and eating habits. Further, it looks at how your body responds to exercise. This makes it easier to create a tailored plan to optimise your diet, workouts, and lifestyle for a strong metabolism.
https://www.pathway.com/fit-products/
Hormone Saliva Test (get your Doctor to order this for you)
https://www.gdx.net/product/menopause-plus-hormone-test-saliva
This Menopause Plus is going to test your melatonin and cortisol levels and also your oestrogen and progesterone levels.
Some of these tests are costly, but your health is your most precious possession. If I had to prioritise, I would do these tests in that order.
1 Full Blood panel
2 Thyroid Test
3 Dutch Test
To HRT or not to HRT?
What a good question this is! In the 1990s, it was a common practice to give a woman oestrogen and progesterone in order to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. This was until a comprehensive study was released that indicated a risk for developing heart disease in women who took this kind of therapy.
The practice of giving hormone replacement therapy declined quite a bit after that, but it is still being used today in select cases where menopausal symptoms are severe, and the woman recognises the possible risk of taking the medication. Hormone therapy is a good choice for certain women, depending on their risk factors.
Hormone replacement therapy is also referred to as oestrogen replacement therapy or menopausal hormone therapy. It is the practice of giving oestrogen and progesterone for the relief of the most common symptoms of menopause and for some, to slow the progress of ageing.
By giving hormone replacement therapy, the doctor is trying to replace the hormones no longer made by the woman’s ovaries.
Oestrogen is important for the body. Besides being responsible for the menstrual cycle and uterine wall thickness, it has an effect on the strength of the bones, affects how the body makes use of calcium, and increases the amount of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the body.
Progesterone also plays a role in the female reproductive system. It causes the uterine lining to mature and shed at the end of the menstrual cycle.
If a woman takes oestrogen alone without progesterone for the management of menopausal symptoms, the risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus) increases. Progesterone thins the lining of the uterus so that the cells don’t proliferate and cause cancerous cells to develop.
Types Of HRT
There are many ways to receive hormone replacement therapy. You need to talk to your doctor about what kind of therapy is best for you. Here are some choices:
Oestrogen alone. If a woman has already had a hysterectomy, she has no chance of developing uterine cancer, so oestrogen can be given alone as a form of hormone replacement therapy. Oestrogen can be given in several ways, including a pill you take once daily, a patch you wear for a week at a time, a vaginal ring, a gel you put on your skin, and an oestrogen-containing spray. Oestrogen alone will control the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause but may increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women who have oestrogen-sensitive breast cancer.
Oestrogen and progesterone therapy. This is often referred to as combination therapy. It involves giving both oestrogen and a synthetic progesterone, called progestin. The progestin does not do much to reduce the hot flashes alone but is designed for women who still have their uterus in order to prevent uterine cancer.
Bioidentical hormone therapy. There are compounding pharmacies that make bioidentical hormones given alone or in combination for menopausal symptoms. Bioidentical hormones are the same as the hormones in the female body and must be given as a cream or gel applied to the skin where it is rapidly absorbed.
Risks Of HRT
As mentioned, there are risks to taking hormone replacement therapy, including increased risks for heart disease, breast cancer, and stroke. In fact, certain types of HRT have a higher risk than others, and the level of risk can vary from woman to woman depending on her health history and lifestyle.
It is important to discuss both the risks and benefits with your health provider. Typically, the best route is to take the lowest dose and re-evaluate the treatment every six months.
The biggest study on this issue was the Women’s Health Initiative, which was a 15-year study that looked at more than 160,000 women who were past menopause.
According to the study, women who took both oestrogen and progesterone had an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
In the study, the risks of taking these medications over the
