Michael Butler’s Blog

http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/Newsweek/2006/11/13/1955371?ba=a&bi=0&bp=7

From: Michael Galitzer
To: letters@newsweek.com
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 7:58 PM
Subject: Reply to Newsweek 11/13/06; Pg 49 ” A Real Somers Storm” - Kantrowitz and Wingert

To The Editor,

The article criticizing “Ageless” fails to acknowledge that Suzanne Somers advocates a complete program of health restoration, which includes detoxification, healthy eating habits, stress reduction, healthy herbs, yoga, exercise, and hormonal balance. Ms. Somers is a staunch advocate of frequent blood tests, mammography, ultrasound, and other diagnostic medical tests, which when combined with quality medical care, will ensure that patients can dramatically improve their health.

Suzanne Somers doesn’t endorse or recommend the Wiley protocol. She merely states that it is a protocol that some women have used, and that a competent doctor should oversee the administration of this protocol. The choice is ultimately one that the doctor, not the patient, makes.

The book contains 404 pages, 7 of which refer to the Wiley protocol. To focus on 7 pages is an example of missing the forest for the trees. What about the contributing chapters of the 15 anti-aging medical doctors, many of whom have authored very credible books. To pay no credence to these leading edge physicians is to again miss the forest for the trees. These doctors use bioidentical estrogen and progesterone, when indicated, and in therapeutic doses, that have been proven to be safe and effective.

There are numerous European studies that show that bioidentical hormones are safe and effective. I am a Board Member of the American College For Advancement in Medicine, the leading professional organization for integrative medicine physicians in this country, which is embarking on a study to prove, once again, that bioidentical hormone therapy is both safe and effective.

Is Estrogen the bad guy? The WHI study referred to in your article was a study that proved that Premarin combined with Provera (synthetic progesterone) caused an increased incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. But what was not reported was that there were women in this study who took only Estrogen, and they had a reduced incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. So Estrogen is not the bad guy. It was the combination of Synthetic Estrogen with Synthetic Progesterone that caused the increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Those two drugs don’t work well together. Medicine is full of warnings about negative drug interactions.

Suzanne Somers takes Bioidentical Estrogen with Bioidentical Progesterone and advocates their use, because these two hormones contain the exact same chemical structure as the hormones that are made in the ovaries of all women, and work well together. Bioidentical Estrogen is not harmful when insulin levels are low, thyroid hormone levels are optimal, and adrenal gland function is ideal (high DHEA and normal Cortisol). Bioidentical Estrogen is not harmful when liver detoxification is optimal, resulting in non-toxic estrogen metabolites. Suzanne Somers is healthy because both she and her doctors are aware of these physiological and metabolic truths.

We as physicians have an obligation to the American public to improve their health. Let us all work together to seek the truth for the common good.

With Respect,

Michael Galitzer, M.D.

Los Angeles, California

(310) 820-6042