There is quite a debate raging about the use of some hormones that are promoted for anti-aging benefits.

Though the majority of physicians are against the use of the hormones, there is a vocal group of physicians (and others) that endorses the taking of hormones. I have previously posted about the controversy, Anti-aging: How far to go?

The most common hormones used for anti-aging are estrogens, testosterone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and hGH (human growth hormone).

A recent report from the American Medical Center’s Council on Science and Public Health has recently addressed the use of hormones and released a report entitled The Use of Hormones for “Antiaging”: A Review of Efficacy and Safety.

The conclusions of the report are that; “ Despite the widespread promotion of hormones as antiaging agents by for-profit web sites, antiaging clinics, and compounding pharmacies, the scientific evidence to support these claims is lacking.”

Further they state that the use of DHEA and hGH are not recommended. The use of estrogens with or without progestin is not recommended either. For testosterone they say that there is little evidence of benefit for men with low levels, but physicians should consider male patients with clinical symptoms of deficiency on an individual level, and council them as to the risks.

There is an editorial in Future Medicine entitled Antiaging medicine: what should be tell our patients? In this editorial an opponent of the use of hormones for anti-aging, gives lots of medical reasons for not taking hormones for anti-aging purposes and a bit about marketing methods. The first section is entitled “The resurgence of hucksters & quacks”, and a box with the heading “Signs and Tricks of Quackery”, that talks about marketing methods. So as you can guess it makes interesting reading. Check it out.

photo credit: paula rúpolo