Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) in Burnaby

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel around the body. They can have powerful effects on cell function in every tissue in the body.In order to do so, they hormone has to interact with a receptor on the cell surface – similar to the way a key and lock work together.

Often, it takes a certain combination of the dozens of different available hormones to produce a specific result. This balance can be extremely complex. However, proper hormone balance is absolutely necessary for optimal health. Unfortunately, many patients suffer with symptoms due to hormonal imbalance but are not diagnosed and treated appropriately. Some of these symptoms include fatigue, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, hair growth/loss, low sex drive, acne, and common problems associated with menopause.

Traditional hormone replacement therapy has been associated with various problems that have left patients feeling nervous about the whole idea. While the goal has always been to help women live longer and healthier lives, hormone replacement therapy sometimes produced side-effects and undesired results such as increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and dementia. Part of this may have been due to the fact that taking non-human hormones (such as estrogens derived from horse urine) had unpredicted effects on the human body.

Dr. Chan is board certified to prescribe bioidentical hormones for his patients. Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT) is the therapeutic use of hormones that are chemically-identical to the hormones that the body naturally produces. These substances are effective, yet safe when taken in the proper amount and via the proper route of administration. The levels required to achieve the proper hormone balance are determined through a comprehensive assessment of the patient as well as through salivary hormone testing. Patients are then monitored and reassessed on a regular basis.