"Treat the disease, you win some, you lose some. Treat the patient, you always win."
~Patch Adams~



Tuesday, June 16, 2009

AMA adopts new policy against anti-aging hormones

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO -- The American Medical Association says there's no scientific proof to back up claims of anti-aging hormones. Click here for more...

Note from Andrea: I do not make the news, just report it! I'm including this in the blog so that you will be aware that many doctors are reluctant to even discuss BHRT with their patients, and that you may have to do some research to find a doctor amenable to this protocol. Let's hope the AMA becomes a little more open minded in the next few years.

1 comment:

  1. Overall – I appreciate Bruce Japsen’s article on the AMA report on anti-aging recently published in the Chicago Tribune. The article called: “AMA report questions science behind using hormones as anti-aging treatment,” was presented in Chicago to a committee of the AMA’s 543 member policymaking House of Delegates, the AMA Council and Public Health. In it, the author, Bruce Japsen calls into question claims made by for-profit web sites, anti-aging clinics and other businesses promoting hormones as anti-aging treatments.

    Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alicia Stanton, was quoted in the article saying: “I don’t tell my patients they can stay young with this stuff. I tell them they can maintain optimal health.” Dr. Stanton goes on to clarify that BodyLogicMD’s services involve meetings with physicians and that consumers are not allowed to order medications directly from the Internet.

    In one of many reports and sessions this past weekend – the AMA House of Delegates discusses concerns it perceives with the “anti-aging” industry. In many ways – as President of BodyLogicMD – I share those concerns. But perhaps from a different vantage point – that of a consumer/patient.

    As a consumer/patient (not as a physician), one of my first big realizations as I went through my own personal transformation was the tremendous differences there are in doctors. In the quality of care and education that they possess. That was the major mantra in forming BodyLogicMD – working with the most highly trained, AMA board certified physicians. This training requires our physicians to devote several hundreds of hours in additional training (all at their expense which is extensive) to understand and apply the most effective methods of treating the symptoms associated with menopause and andropause. To help their patients feel better. We have thousands of patients that would agree. As well, President Obama will address this very same topic on Monday.

    I would have been thrilled to present ANY of our AMA Board Certified physicians to the AMA House of Delegates this weekend to discuss Bioidentical Hormones and the results that patients achieve with highly trained physicians, highly qualified labs and highly qualified compounding pharmacies. We were blessed that at least the reporter for the Chicago Tribune asked our physicians opinion. In the last few weeks, so many of the press have taken Oprah to task for not effectively presenting the other side, to present more physicians – yet this continued this weekend at the AMA.

    Also, it is critical in our physicians opinion on the use of proper labs (not all are created equal – as physicians are not) as well as using the highest quality compounding pharmacies.

    I was only taken aback by Mr. Japsen’s single notation on our website of Mae West who said “You’re never too old to become younger”. Not only is that out of context for her quote and our website (She was addressing the “mental aspect” of being old) – but he also didn’t address the numerous other quotes that are on the website such as Abraham Lincoln’s “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years”. Or George Burn’s quote of “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old”. All have a common theme – it’s up to us to commit to living our best – they all use the word “you”.

    In the end, as all consumers/patients know – it’s up to them to find the most highly qualified doctor for whatever the case might be. I am very privileged to be working with who I consider the very best in physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone treatments, as well as the best lab partners and compounding pharmacists in this field.

    I look forward to the AMA opening a further dialog with the experts in this field of medicine. And I hope that Mr. Japsen’s opinion that “the AMA has lost some of its clout in recent years” is not a future forecast of its importance.

    Sincerely,

    Patrick Savage
    www.bodylogicmd.com

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