Pharmaceutical Hormones
Most of the major endocrine hormones are avail-
able as purified extracts or synthesized products
for therapeutic supplementation or replacement
therapy. Endocrinologists and other doctors pre-
scribe pharmaceutical conditions to treat a wide
range of endocrine disorders such as ADDISON’S DIS-
EASE, HYPOTHYROIDISM, and DIABETES. Doctors may
also prescribe pharmaceutical hormones for CON-
TRACEPTION(the birth control pill), to enhance FER-
TILITY, to slow or prevent OSTEOPOROSIS, and to treat
HORMONE-DRIVEN CANCERSsuch as PROSTATE CANCER,
ENDOMETRIAL CANCER, and some forms of BREAST
CANCER.
Many hormone supplements are recombinant
products genetically engineered in laboratories to
precisely match the chemical configurations of
endogenous (native to the human body) hor-
mones. Some hormone products contain purified
extracts drawn from animal sources, most com-
monly human (extracted from donor cadaver
organs), porcine (pig) and bovine (cow). Most
people can tolerate either type of supplement,
though adverse reactions (including allergic
responses) tend to be more common with extracts.
For further discussion of hormones within the
context of the endocrine system’s structure and
function please see the overview section “The
Endocrine System.”
See also ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND STEROID PRECUR-
SORS; DIGESTIVE ENZYMES; DIGESTIVE HORMONES;
ENDOCRINE GLAND; HORMONE THERAPY.
hormone therapy Treatment in which a person
takes HORMONEextracts or synthetic hormones to
influence the body’s natural production of hor-
mones or to replace hormones the body is no
longer producing. Nearly all of the body’s major
hormones are available as purified extracts, labora-
tory-synthesized pharmaceuticals, or recombinant
products. Common hormone therapy regimens
include replacement supplements to treat:
- ACROMEGALY
•ADDISON’S DISEASE
- ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY
- DIABETES
- GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY
- HYPOPARATHYROIDISM
- HYPOPITUITARISM(especially following treatment
for adenoma)
- HYPOTHYROIDISM
Hormone therapy may also be a treatment
approach for HORMONE-DRIVEN CANCERS such as
PROSTATE CANCER, some BREAST CANCERS, and ENDOME-
TRIAL CANCER(cancer of the UTERUS). Doctors may
also prescribe short-term hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) for moderate to severe symptoms
related to MENOPAUSE. FERTILITYtreatments typically
involve hormone therapy to stimulate OVULATIONin
women or SPERMproduction in men.CHANGE IN HRT PRACTICES
For the latter half of the 20th century doctors
routinely prescribed moderate doses of ESTROGENS
and progestins for women going through and
beyond MENOPAUSE, based on the presumption
that such hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
protected women from heart disease and OSTEO-
POROSIS. Several large studies in the early 2000s
disproved this premise, establishing concern that
routine HRT increased the risk for heart disease
as well as HORMONE-DRIVEN CANCERS. Doctors now
prescribe small doses of these hormones for
short periods of time and only for women who
are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms
such as hot flashes and sleep disturbances.See also CANCER TREATMENT OTIONS AND DECISIONS;
OSTEOPOROSIS.hydrocortisone See CORTISOL.hyperaldosteronism A condition, also called
aldosteronism, in which the adrenal cortex of the
ADRENAL GLANDSproduces excessive ALDOSTERONE.
This causes the KIDNEYS to withhold higher
amounts of sodium in the BLOODand pass into the
URINEgreater amounts of potassium, which conse-
quently draws greater amounts of water into the
blood. The aldosterone also causes the peripheral
arterioles (tiny arteries in the CAPILLARY BEDS) to
constrict. The combined effect is elevated BLOOD
PRESSUREalong with an imbalance between sodium
and potassium. This imbalance causes disturbances136 The Endocrine System