Testosterone, widely and misleadingly understood to be the male hormone, may provide relief to women experiencing the symptoms of menopause, according to a Shelby Township-based physician and many other experts.

Dr. Charles Mok recently published the book Testosterone: Strong Enough for a Man, Made for a Woman, which educates readers about the benefits of natural hormone replacement therapy.

Mok released the book, his first, in March. It costs $25.99 and is available on Amazon.

The evidence for testosterone therapy is overwhelming, and we want to get the message to doctors and, importantly, to their patients, Mok said.

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Men produce 10 times more testosterone than women, but in their early reproductive years women have 10 times more testosterone than estrogen coursing through their bodies.

Many experts believe that its the loss of testosterone, and not estrogen, that causes women in midlife to tend to gain weight, feel fatigue and lose mental focus, bone density and muscle tone as well as their libido. Mood swings, anxiety and hot flashes are other common symptoms.

Testosterone therapy, delivered in the form of a tiny pellet the size of a grain of rice that is inserted underneath the skin, is believed to keep women healthier and relieve many of the above symptoms.

Clinical research shows that testosterone reduces the risk of breast cancer by 50 percent to 75 percent, and natural estrogen cuts the risk of heart attacks by more than 70 percent if used long term, Mok said.

Additionally, theyll have better control of their weight, better energy, better sex, better moods and better hair and skin, Mok said.

Therapy isnt typically covered by health insurance. Treatment in his office is usually about $140 a month, Mok said.

In the book, Mok also explores the history of hormone replacement therapy in the 1940s through the 2002 Womens Health Initiative, which suggested women taking a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone had an increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer.

Unfortunately, that led many women away from getting help, Mok said.

Mok, an emergency room doctor, became interested in preventative care after recognizing that some of his patients conditions could have been avoided. Now, hes in the process of finalizing a hormone therapy book geared for men.

The rest is here:
Doctor says testosterone therapy can provide relief for women - The Macomb Daily

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