Question: I have read your book Overcoming Arthritis. In it, you recommend natural hormone replacement therapy. My PSA count has been as high as 5.6, but the last count was at 4.0. Would hormone replacement therapy cause my PSA count to rise?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

My experience has shown that men with prostate illness generally have very low levels of adrenal and sex hormones such as DHEA, pregnenolone, and testosterone. I consistently find that the worse the prostate illness is, the lower the hormones are. Now, that does not prove a cause-and-effect link between low hormones and prostate problems. However, it surely does not point to the conventional wisdom that androgen hormones such as testosterone and DHEA cause prostate problems.


Now, on to your question. If you do not have prostate cancer, there is no contraindication to using bioidentical hormones. If you use hormones, you should follow up with your doctor for routine examinations. A recent review of past research
has called into question the idea that testosterone causes prostate cancer. It is my firm belief that there is no correlation between testosterone use and the development of prostate cancer. I believe future research will show that testosterone
does not cause prostate cancer and may actually be helpful in the treatment of prostate cancer. Until the controversy is resolved, however, I do not recommend using it.