“Women age easily but die hard.” Writing like this guarantees that someone will curse me before reading the next paragraph.
Calm down, I’m about to explain.
Men and women are different because of hormones. Men like me have testosterone from the testes, while women have estrogen produced by the ovaries.
Female hormones make bones strong, blood vessels flexible, and the skin of blood vessels strong and hard to tear. That’s why women live longer. Around the late 40s to early 50s, men like me start to have clogged coronary artery disease, while women still have good coronary arteries. They live longer than men like me.
But the reason they age easily has a source. Women’s ovaries have a very limited lifespan. When they reach 48, the eggs start to expire, and when they expire, the hormones run out. The deterioration from hormone deficiency begins. We call it “menopause.”
From firm, bouncy skin, it starts to lose firmness, some areas sag, the vagina dries, sex becomes painful, urination is not fun, bones start to thin, and blood vessels start to fail.
Hold on, the blood vessels starting to fail after menopause is around the late 40s to early 50s. They start to deteriorate, while the blood vessels of men my age have already failed. That means even though they start to age, they still die slower than men like me.
Coronary arteries are the key to longevity. The smooth skin of blood vessels is important for circulation. Under the skin of blood vessels is where fat deposits or cholesterol accumulate. Believe it or not, female hormones or estrogen slow down and reduce the accumulation of deposits compared to men. Or if there are deposits, the skin of the blood vessels is still highly flexible and hard to tear, so blood circulation remains good.
Heart disease occurs because something causes the skin of the blood vessels supplying the heart to tear. Even a small tear will prompt the body to repair it immediately. That’s when platelets rush to plug the tear, and this is when the blockage increases, creating a net to trap blood cells. Trapping them turns into a blood clot.
Have you ever been cut by a knife? Press it a little, and the bleeding stops because a blood clot plugs the wound. Heart attacks occur from this process.
Women die hard but age easily. Do you believe it now? Not yet, it’s not over.
Natural processes stop youthfulness and start deterioration. We are skilled enough to help slow down that deterioration by reintroducing the missing hormones.
Wait, don’t stop reading here because the following is important.
In the early days of using hormones to slow aging, we thought it would help make bones strong again and reduce the risk of heart disease. It seemed like a miracle drug!
But it turned out that after using the drug for a while, women started dying faster!
Alright, I’ll tell you slowly. Read slowly.
It’s true that hormones make bones stronger. We’ve confirmed this for over 30 years. However, the part that’s not entirely true is about blood vessels.
There are examples from two patients to compare.
The first woman, 48 years old, is experiencing menopause. She has hot flashes and sweats annoyingly. Others are cold, she’s hot; others are hot, she’s cold. She’s crazy alone. She came to get estrogen hormone medication, and her symptoms quickly improved. She refuses to stop using the medication for fear of the symptoms returning. By now, you can guess that her bones remain strong, and her blood vessels are still very good. As long as she continues using the medication, the good things mentioned will remain. But wait, if used for a long time, more than 5 to 6 years, there might be problems with the breasts. Many fear breast cancer. Yes, it starts to appear more with the duration of use, depending on the type of drug and method of use. But believe me, there are ways to monitor it. It’s not too scary.
With the second woman, she has been past menopause for over 10 years. One day, she wants youthful, firm skin, firm breasts, a moist vagina, and strong bones. She wants to use hormones because she thinks “Hormones, hormones are a magic drug, ha hi, ha hi.”
Ha ha ha… By now, her blood vessels have already failed. Think about it, 10 years have passed.
Now, there’s a doctor crazy enough to give her hormones. After using it for a while, the blood vessels start to rejuvenate, flexibility returns, and the hardened parts start to move. The skin of the blood vessels begins to crack (imagine someone applying powder, letting it dry, and then smiling).
Crack, the skin of the blood vessels cracks, platelets rush to plug the hole. By now, you know what will happen.
Female hormones are strange. They make blood vessels strong and flexible, preventing heart disease, but at the same time, they make blood clot and form clots easily. It’s paradoxical and hard to understand, just like women (oops).
…
Those who need to use hormone medication, don’t worry. Today’s drugs have advanced a lot. We have more knowledge, and hormone users are much safer.
Estrogen used in menopausal women is made to treat menopausal symptoms. We use it in people with severe symptoms that disrupt life. It has low concentration and potency. Using just a little, according to research, is very safe.
I’m talking about hormones for menopause, not birth control pills, which are also hormones.
Birth control pills have a higher concentration of hormones, much higher than menopausal hormones. They are used for young women to prevent ovulation and pregnancy. They are not hormones for menopausal people. Don’t take them to increase youthfulness. Don’t do it. Even men transitioning to women, I don’t use birth control pills. It’s dangerous.
For menopausal hormones, consult obstetricians like us. Don’t use them recklessly. Trust me…
Today, I have to see patients at the gynecology clinic as usual. And what’s really usual is that over 70% of my patients are women past menopause. They, um… actually, I should call them aunties or grandmas. Almost all of them are over 60.
“Do you have any chronic diseases?” Grandma Gleeb is 80 years old. In about 2 months, she will undergo surgery for a prolapsed uterus. So I asked out of habit.
“I have diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure, but it’s not much, doctor. I take birth control pills.” She is proud of managing her conditions.
“Wait…” I loudly interrupted.
“You can’t take birth control pills, you’re old. Why take birth control pills? You can’t get pregnant anymore. You said your husband isn’t around. Wait, who gave them to you?” I loudly protested.
Smack! There it is, the hand of justice slapped my thigh hard.
“What birth control pills, doctor? I take pills for diabetes and blood pressure, doctor. Ha ha.”
“Oh, who calls them birth control pills, grandma?” This time, I got to tease the elderly, feeling relieved for a moment.
In the afternoon, I was consulted by a junior doctor to help with a patient who couldn’t control her bowels.
Grandma Pikul is 80 years old. Her daughter wheeled her in for me to examine. Actually, bowel incontinence isn’t my specialty, but taking a history and doing a preliminary examination is necessary.
“Does your mother have any chronic diseases?” Some patients I call “ma,” some “ma,” and some “mother,” depending on my mood.
“She has diabetes and blood pressure, but she takes birth control pills.” Grandma Pikul replied.
“Huh, wait a minute…” I interrupted another patient, laughing.
Today is the national day of birth control pills for the elderly, and it’s also the national day of teasing the elderly.
Thanapan Choobun, the mischievous one
March 12, 67
Source: Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Choobun https://facebook.com/thanapan.choobun