HRT does not treat bone loss

Dear Dr. Gott: I am 60, healthy and active. My grandmother and mother had osteoporosis. Consequently, I am concerned about the possibility of suffering from a future bone disease that could well have an impact on my quality of life as a senior. Should I have a bone density exam?

My gynecologist says to “skip the test” and take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent bone-calcium loss.

Dear Reader: I disagree 100 percent. I hope that you misunderstood your gynecologist because, in my opinion, what you believed you heard was misleading.

First off, you definitely need a bone density exam. This simple, painless and noninvasive procedure will clearly show if you already have a problem (osteoporosis), are in the early stages (osteopenia), or are OK.

HRT in postmenopausal women has been confirmed by medical studies to increase the risk of stroke, cancer and heart disease. This relation is so evident that many experts now endorse an across-the-board prohibition of HRT in any postmenopausal women. Moreover, HRT does not treat osteoporosis; it may, in some women, retard bone-calcium loss, but it is far from being a cure.

I believe that you can develop a plan based on the results of the bone density exam.

If it shows osteoporosis, you need prescription drugs such as Fosamax or Actonel that may actually arrest the disease and strengthen your bones (which may continue to be brittle, however). If the exam shows osteopenia, a calcium/vitamin D program is advisable, with a follow-up exam in one year.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Osteoporosis.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Dear Dr. Gott: My husband, 76, has been taking chelation therapy, at $150 a treatment three times a week. He chose this option because an alternative practitioner convinced him that the therapy will make “a new man” of him. Please give me your opinion.

Dear Reader: Chelation therapy involves the administration of one compound to bond with (and detoxify) another. In legitimate medical practice, chelation is used to treat lead, arsenic and other heavy-metal poisoning.

However, some unscrupulous promoters market chelation as a cure for aging, heart disease, diabetes and a host of other medical afflictions. Rigorous scientific testing has failed to substantiate that such claims are valid. In short, most authorities believe that this approach is a blatant misuse of chelation therapy.

Your husband would be better served by immediately discontinuing chelation therapy and putting himself under the care of a reputable, licensed M.D.