Claim: Suzanne Somers advocates ‘natural’ approach when treating menopause
Verdict: REFUTES

Retrieved passages:
title: How to Live Forever
text: 2008, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the documentary, Suzanne Somers speaks to the International Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas. She describes the array of hormones that she takes daily, explaining why she is a supporter of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Author of numerous diet books and autobiographies, Somers also wrote "Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones". Somers is an actress, author, and businesswoman, best known for her role as Chrissy Snow on "Three’s Company". Aubrey de Grey is a British author and theoretician in the field of gerontology. His studies focus

title: Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
text: been made for the efficacy of bioidentical hormones and compounded BHT, with varying evidence to support or contradict them: In 2006, actress Suzanne Somers released the book "Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones" endorsing the use of bioidentical hormones. The book was criticized by a group of doctors who (though generally supportive of BHT) state that more research is required, and object to protocols mentioned in the book—because of their potential danger and the promoters' lack of qualifications. Somers' book may have increased awareness of the existence of BHT for a growing number of menopausal women, but also may

title: Menopause
text: natural stage of life. It is not a disease or a disorder. Therefore, it does not automatically require any kind of medical treatment. However, in those cases where the physical, mental, and emotional effects of perimenopause are strong enough that they significantly disrupt the life of the woman experiencing them, palliative medical therapy may sometimes be appropriate. In the context of the menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of estrogen in women without a uterus and estrogen plus progestin in women who have an intact uterus. HRT may be reasonable for the treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as

title: Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
text: prescription), saliva testing, and an emphasis on countering the effects of aging rather than relieving the symptoms of menopause. This compounded BHT package has been promoted by Suzanne Sommers, Oprah Winfrey and other proponents as safer and more effective than CHRT, though there is no evidence to support these claims. Compounded BHT has been marketed on the internet by pharmacies which make unfounded claims for its safety and its effectiveness for a variety of conditions. There are a variety of FDA-approved products, made using bioidentical estrogens and micronized progesterone, used to treat the symptoms of menopause: The term "synthetic" is

title: Hot Flash Havoc
text: billion women in menopause and over 1.5 billion women in perimenopause. The women interviewed in the documentary talk about their sex lives with candor and humor. The film addresses the use of hormone therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause and confronts the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study that led women to forgo estrogen-replacement medications and, in some cases, jeopardize their health. The documentary was selected for several film festivals around the United States including The Aspen Film Festival, The Film Festival of Colorado, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Gig Harbor Film Festival, Port Townsend Film Festival, LA Femme Film

title: Susan Lark
text: Susan Lark Susan Lark is a medical doctor. She obtained her education from Northwestern Medical School, and has served as one of the clinical faculty members at Stanford University. At Stanford, Lark taught In the department of family and community medicine. As of now Lark works in the field of women’s health and preventive medicine. Lark is the founder and director of the Menopause Self Help Center located in Los Altos, California. She is well known for her innovative approaches to menopause and hormone management as well as her views on holistic women’s health. Her holistic approaches focus on hormone

title: Meg Mathews
text: for animal rights. During her time there, she designed a vegan handbag with the accessories company Wilby, with proceeds going to PETA. Currently, Meg has devoted her time to breaking the stigma around the menopause through her platform, MegsMenopause, launched in January 2018. She has appeared on Loose Women, BBC Radio, Lorraine, and Jeremy Vine promoting the cause. According to her website, "Meg turned fifty and began to experience the first symptoms of the menopause. She was shocked at the lack of support and understanding shown to women during this time in their lives and made it her mission to

title: Menopause
text: cohosh. There is no evidence to support the efficacy of acupuncture as a management for menopausal symptoms. As of 2011 there is no support for herbal or dietary supplements in the prevention or treatment of the mental changes that occur around menopause. A 2016 Cochrane review found not enough evidence to show a difference between Chinese herbal medicine and placebo for the vasomotor symptoms. The cultural context within which a woman lives can have a significant impact on the way she experiences the menopausal transition. Menopause has been described as a subjective experience, with social and cultural factors playing a

title: Menopause
text: MHT was once routinely prescribed, it is now only recommended in those with significant symptoms, as there are concerns about side effects. High-quality evidence for the effectiveness of alternative medicine has not been found. There is tentative evidence for phytoestrogens. During early menopause transition, the menstrual cycles remain regular but the interval between cycles begins to lengthen. Hormone levels begin to fluctuate. Ovulation may not occur with each cycle. The date of the final menstrual period is usually taken as the point when menopause has occurred. During the menopausal transition and after menopause, women can experience a wide range of

title: Dorothy Jean Hailes
text: to address menopause. Hailes joined Monash University in 1972 as part of the health services of the students of the University before returning to the University of Melbourne in a similar role for three years later. Hailes established a second clinic at the Royal Women's Hospital in 1976 before becoming a menopause counselor from 1978 to 1986. She also was a clinical assistant at Royal Women's Hospital. The mainstream medicine industry supported Hailes for developing clinical and research expertise that was related to the health issues of older women. Hailes (with the Burger) developed a paper on a hormone replacement

title: Hormone replacement therapy
text: of quality of life during the menopausal period is at the core of estrogen and progestogen-based HRT. Both HRT and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) have been shown to enhance sexual desire in a significant percent of women; however, as with all pharmacological treatments, not all women have been responsive, especially those with preexisting sexual difficulties. ERT restores vaginal cells, pH levels, and blood flow to the vagina, all of which deterioration are associated with the onset of menopause. Dyspareunia (due to vaginal dryness) appears to be the most responsive component of menopausal women’s sexuality to ERT. It also has been

title: Menopause
text: hot flashes. It is the most effective treatment option, especially when delivered as a skin patch. Its use, however, appears to increase the risk of strokes and blood clots. When used for menopausal symptoms some recommend it be used for the shortest time possible and at the lowest dose possible. Evidence to support long term use however is poor. It also appears effective for preventing bone loss and osteoporotic fracture, but it is generally recommended only for women at significant risk for whom other therapies are unsuitable. HRT may be unsuitable for some women, including those at increased risk of

title: Hormone replacement therapy
text: premature or surgically induced menopause, a combination HRT is often recommended, as it may also prolong life and may decrease a woman's chances of developing endometrial cancers associated with unopposed estrogen therapy, as well by decreasing the incidence of dementia. The main hormones involved are estrogens and progestogens. Some recent therapies include the use of androgens as well. Data from numerous studies have consistently found that HRT leads to improvements in aspects of postmenopausal sexual dysfunction. Sexuality is a critical aspect of quality of life for the large majority of menopausal women; therefore, any features of the menopausal transition that

title: Florence Comite
text: treatment paths based on customized tracts incorporating unique aspects for each patient based on a myriad of variables such as lifestyle, metabolism, hormonal and genetic factors, in conjunction with evidence-based medicine to help patients best manage their aging process. Comite also works on helping males deal with what she refers to as Male Menopause. Comite graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York Yale University School of Medicine; she was an Associate Clinical Professor on the Yale faculty for 25 years; as a leader in women's health for over 15 years, she first founded

title: Suzanne Somers
text: Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers (born Suzanne Marie Mahoney, October 16, 1946) is an American actress, author, singer, businesswoman, and health spokesperson. She is best known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on "Three's Company" and as Carol Foster Lambert on "Step by Step". Somers later became the author of a series of best-selling self-help books, including "Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones" (2006), about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She has released two autobiographies, four diet books, and a book of poetry. She has been criticized for her views on some medical subjects and her advocacy of the Wiley

title: Suzanne Somers
text: of bioidentical hormone therapy, but gives extra discussion to one specific approach, the 'Wiley Protocol'. Somers and T. S. Wiley, the originator of the Wiley Protocol, have been criticized for their advocacy of the Wiley Protocol. A group of seven doctors, all of whom utilize bioidentical hormone therapies to address health issues in women, issued a public letter to Somers and her publisher, Crown, in which they state that the protocol is "scientifically unproven and dangerous" and cite Wiley's lack of medical and clinical qualifications. The use of bioidentical hormone therapies is a very controversial area of medicine; its efficacy

title: Lorraine Rothman
text: Marcia Wexler called "Menopause Myths and Facts: What Every Woman Should Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy," which was critical of hormone replacement therapy. Of HRT she has said, "Hormone Replacement Therapy is a misnomer: they are not hormones (they are drugs made synthetically in the laboratory), they are not replacing anything (our bodies continue to make enough hormones during and after menopause), and they are not therapeutic (menopause is not a disease)." Lorraine Rothman died of bladder cancer on September 25, 2007, in Fullerton, California. According to the book titled "Into Our Own Hands", "Lorraine Rothman developed a menstrual extraction

title: Oophorectomy
text: hormones, especially androgens, long after menopause, which may explain why surgical menopause is generally accompanied by a more sudden and severe onset of symptoms than natural menopause, symptoms that may continue until the natural age of menopause. These symptoms are commonly addressed through hormone therapy, utilizing various forms of estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, or a combination. When the ovaries are removed, a woman is at a seven times greater risk of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms are not precisely known. The hormone production of the ovaries currently cannot be sufficiently mimicked by drug therapy. The ovaries produce hormones a woman needs

title: Susan Lark
text: women’s health, including Chemistry of Success and the cookbook Eat Papayas Naked, as well as a series of self-help books on women’s health topics like hot flashes, PMS, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Her most recent book is Hormone Revolution, written with Kimberly S. Day. She has also been featured in many publications, including Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, New Woman, Family Circle, Shape, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Susan Lark Susan Lark is a medical doctor. She obtained her education from Northwestern Medical School, and has served as one of the clinical faculty

title: T. S. Wiley
text: co-author of three scientific journal articles along with biochemist Dr. Bent Formby between 1998 and 2001. Wiley wrote a second book, "Sex, Lies and Menopause", in which she claims that hormone imbalances cause many age-related diseases, and these imbalances are caused by humans straying from "natural" rhythms of light, seasonal eating and child birth. Wiley claims that mimicking the levels and cycles of estrogen and progesterone found in a 20-year-old woman will prevent or treat age-related diseases. Subsequent to the book's publication, this hormone regimen became known as the "Wiley protocol" and Wiley created a pharmaceutical compounding program that pharmacists