February 2007
Welcome to the first issue of the Hormone Balance Hotline! In this
and coming issues, we'll be sharing insights with you about health
issues that Dr. John Lee dedicated his life to addressing. We'll cover
the latest research on hormones and wellness, news about natural alternatives
to conventional hormone replacement therapy, and bulletins about the latest
developments in the field. We want to make this newsletter an invaluable
source of information and advice that you can use to achieve optimal health
naturally.
In This Issue
Breast Cancer Rates Dive in 2003
Latest Research Vindicates Dr. Lee's Stand on HRT and Breast Cancer
Over the last several months, multiple research studies have shown surprising
declines in breast cancer rates since 2002. More importantly, the studies indicate
that the declines occurred because millions of women stopped using conventional
hormone replacement therapy (HRT). While the latest research does not prove
that HRT promotes breast cancer, it strongly suggests it. That vindicates Dr.
Lee's position that conventional HRT can often reduce the body's
ability to inhibit breast tumor growth.
The good news about breast cancer rates began showing up in the media last
December when researchers reported significant reductions in both the use of
HRT and incidents of breast cancer in California. Scientists from the Northern
California Cancer Center and Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research
noted that HRT use dropped 68 percent in the state between 2001 and 2003. Shortly
thereafter, breast cancer rates dropped by 10 to 11 percent. The decline continued
in 2004, which told the researchers that the rate reduction was not a fluke.
The Good News Spreads
A week later, researchers reported similar findings across the entire United
States during the San Antonio Breast Cancer
Symposium. According to the research teams, U.S. breast cancer rates plunged
an unprecedented 7 percent in 2003. That was the year after many women discontinued
HRT because of findings from the Womens Health Initiative (WHI) study that
linked HRT use with breast cancer and heart disease.
What was even more stunning was the decline in breast cancer rates among women
that were most likely to use HRT. Among women between the ages of 50 and 69,
there was a 12 percent reduction in cancer rates during 2003. Moreover, there
was a 15 percent decline in the incidence of estrogen-driven cancers, the kind
that are most easily linked to HRT.
There is also evidence that these trends could continue. While federal statistics
on breast cancer rates in 2004 will not be available until April, data from
the California cancer registry indicates that rates in that state continued
to decline during the year. A study of the California data can be found in
the Journal of Clinical Oncology. (Click
here to download a copy of the Journal article; you will need the Adobe
PDF Reader to view it.)
How Did it Happen?
It may seem surprising that breast cancer rates declined so quickly after
the WHI study spurred women to drop HRT. After all, most breast tumors
take years to form, so going off HRT would not instantly stop them in their
tracks. However, some scientists are theorizing that many of the tumors
that were forming, but had not yet been detected, stopped growing or even
began shrinking once HRT was discontinued. As a result, they never showed
up on mammograms.
This theory fits well with Dr. Lee's findings that the estrogen in HRT
can fuel the growth of tumors and that their removal can stop the growth. In
his groundbreaking book, What
Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, Dr. Lee cited research
that showed how unopposed estrogen breaks down the body's natural defenses
against tumor growth. Estrogen does this by activating a gene known as Bcl-2
that slows the process of cell death, known as apoptosis. While apoptosis may
not sound like a good thing, it really is. Every day, millions of old cells
in our bodies need to die in an orderly fashion to make way for new ones. If
old cells in the breast do not die, they can lead to dense, lumpy, or fibrocystic
breasts. They can also create tumors.
In short, estrogen that is unopposed by other hormones — particularly
progesterone — can act as a cancer accelerator in many women. When the
accelerator is removed, tumors may often cease growing or even shrink. Moreover,
research demonstrates that natural progesterone can play an important role
in tumor reduction. As Dr. Lee pointed out in his book, progesterone activates
gene p53, a gene that helps to restore normal apoptosis in cells.
What Can You Do?
There is much more that we could say about breast cancer and HRT, and we will
revisit the subject in future issues. But for now, what can you do about the
latest findings? Here is what we suggest:
- Go to our web site to take our free Hormone
Balance Test. The test can help you relate your symptoms — including
those related to breast health — to any potential hormonal imbalances.
- Test your hormone levels — especially estrogen and progesterone — using
our saliva tests.
These can help you determine if you have unopposed estrogen that may encourage
tumor growth.
- If you are using conventional HRT, ask your healthcare provider about switching
to bioidentical hormones. Our web site includes information on how you can
find a doctor
who uses natural hormones.
References
Data came from the Northern California Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute,
and the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Clarke et al, Vol 24, 33:Nov 20 2006)
Announcing The John Lee M.D. Institute
New Organization To Hold First Conference in April
We are pleased to announce that several long-time colleagues of Dr. Lee have
formed a non-profit organization to advance his work. The John
Lee M.D. Institute has just opened its doors and will hold its first educational
conference for healthcare providers in Portland, Oregon on April 14th and 15th.
The conference, "Becoming an Expert in Bioidentical Hormone Balancing",
will prove invaluable to providers who want to advance their skills in this
field.
The John Lee M.D. Institute was formed to educate healthcare providers and
the public about the work of Dr. Lee and to train healthcare professionals
in the art and science of natural hormone balancing. The Institute's
founders include Jay H. Mead, MD and Erin Lommen, ND, who have been professional
colleagues and personal friends of Dr. Lee and his family for many years. They
will be speaking at the upcoming conference along with other experts in the
bioidentical hormone balancing field, including Don West, Rph and Hilary Andrews,
ND.
According to Dr. Mead, the conference will be an information-intensive event
that will feature cutting-edge clinical pearls from the speakers. Those who
attend will learn how to:
- Accurately assess patients and utilize appropriate state-of the-art laboratory
testing
- Understand and interpret laboratory analysis
- Prescribe and monitor bioidentical hormone supplements
- Create treatment plans which address and correct metabolic and endocrine
dysfunction
The Institute has applied for 12.5 hours of CME credits to help those who
attend meet their license requirements.
You can register for the event and learn more about the John Lee M.D. Institute
at its web site (www.drjohnleeinstitute.com).
If you need additional information, you can call or write Nancy Hunt at 6019
NE Mason St, Portland, OR 97218, (503) 493-9014.
Improving Bone Density with Mini-Trampolines
What Dr. Lee Told One Woman
By Mrs. John Lee
Welcome to our first edition of the Hormone Balance Hotline! We look forward
to a continuing relationship and to supporting you in your efforts toward optimal
health and hormonal balance. We've been very busy with our transitions
here at JohnLeeMD.com, so we have not been able to respond to all of your wonderful
emails. However, we'll write back to as many of you as we can, and we
so appreciate hearing from you.
My husband, Dr. John Lee M.D., touched so many lives. Recently, we received
an email from a dear lady in Georgia who met Dr. Lee and wrote of how graciously
he spoke with her about her health concerns. His pearls of wisdom are what
we want to share with you, and this very gracious lady was thrilled to have
her story told to help us all.
She and Dr. Lee were talking about her recent bone mineral density (BMD) test
and the fact that the test showed she had osteopenia, a decrease in BMD that
may be a precursor to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a further loss of BMD where
some of the bone structure and proteins in the bone are disrupted. Bones with
osteoporosis are more susceptible to fractures.
She writes, "One important thing he told me was to get a mini-trampoline
and jump on it 12 minutes a day! I asked about walking. He said, ‘Walking
won't do it.' Also, he said magnesium was more important than calcium." So
this dear lady got a mini-trampoline and followed Dr. Lee's advice faithfully
for 15 months and then had another bone mineral density test. Her bones had
improved markedly! She also does other healthy things, but credits Dr. Lee
and her faithful use of the mini-trampoline for her healthy bone results. She
said, "I remember Dr. Lee's words, ‘12 minutes a day is all
it takes.'"
So, happy jumping for healthy bones! As always, check with your healthcare
provider before starting or changing your exercise regimen to help determine
what's right for you. We don't endorse any mini-trampoline brands,
but we do suggest that you get one that's nice and sturdy. Some models
have a hand bar to hold onto for stability if needed, or you could place your
trampoline near an object where you can steady yourself if need be. This dear
lady from Georgia who shared her story tells us, "I place my trampoline
right behind a living room chair so if I want to rest my hand on the chair
back, I can."
Yours for good health,
Pat Lee
References
Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation (Vol 10, 401-408)
Testosterone-Deficient Men May Fall More Often
If you are an older man and your balance is not what it used to be, you may
not want to blame it entirely on your advancing years. According to a five-year
study of 2,578 men ranging in age from 65 to 99, men with lower testosterone
levels are more prone to falling than men with higher testosterone levels.
In the study, the men in the lowest quartile for bioavailable testosterone
(in other words, the 25 percent with the lowest levels) had a 40 percent higher
fall risk than those in the highest quartile. The effect of low testosterone
was most apparent among men aged 65 to 69 years. Low testosterone levels were
also associated with reduced physical performance among all the subjects.
Fortunately, it is possible for many men to return their bioavailable testosterone
to normal levels without undue medical risks. This was one of the assertions
that Dr. Lee made in his highly informative booklet, Hormone
Balance for Men. In the booklet, Dr. Lee discusses how the medical community
has mistakenly concluded that testosterone promotes prostate cancer. If that
were the case, Dr. Lee argues, more young men would be getting prostate cancer
because they have higher testosterone levels than older men. He then offers
research that sheds light on the real causes of prostate cancer. He also
explains how many men can use natural testosterone and other bioidentical
hormones to address symptoms related to hormone imbalances.
At JohnLeeMD.com, we offer several resources for men besides Hormone Balance
for Men. Most men start by taking our free hormone
balance test to see if their symptoms may be related to their hormone
levels. They can also purchase saliva
and blood tests to determine whether they have a hormonal imbalance.
For most men, we recommend a set of six baseline saliva tests that includes
testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, DHEA-S, and morning and evening cortisol.
It is also advisable for most men to test their sex hormone binding globulin
(SHBG) levels via a blood spot test.
In short, aging does not have to be as tough on men as many of us think.
Like women, most men can find ways to achieve hormone balances safely and
naturally. And if the latest research is any indication, it could help them
to age more gracefully....literally!
References
Archives of Internal Medicine (Orwoll et al, Vol 166, 19:Oct 23 2006)
Tell Your Friends…Get a Discount!
A New Way to Save Money on Your JohnLeeMD.com Purchases
Before we sign off, we wanted you to know about a new way that you can spread
the good news about hormone health and save money on your next purchase
at JohnLeeMD.com. Just point your web browser to our Tell
a Friend page at http://www.johnleemd.com/store/tef-sub.html.
Use this page to provide us with the name and email address of a friend who
could benefit from our web site. We will send them an email that introduces
them to our web site and offers them a 10% discount on their first purchase.
If your friend visits our site, you will receive a 10% discount on your next
purchase as well!
Rest assured that we will not send unwanted "spam" to your friends
or sell their email addresses to anyone. We will also make it easy for them
to tell us if they do not wish to receive any further emails from us. So please...accept
our offer and help those who are special to you to improve their health naturally!
In Our Next Issue....
We'll take another look at the relationship of hormone imbalances to breast
cancer and fibrocystic breast disease. In addition, we'll examine some
interesting research on the relationship between antidepressants and bone fractures.
We'll also explore what Dr. Lee and his colleagues have said about hormones
and depression. Until then, we wish you wellness!
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