Before discovering a new way to look at hormone therapy, Dr. Richard Chern felt like he ‘had a rucksack on his back’, just pushing through every day. In fact, he thought ‘everyone got cranky and took naps’. He now treats people like him who want to improve energy and concentration.
Dr. Chern explains how reference levels, hormone delivery methods, and quality control lead to less than optimal management of hormone levels. Poor understanding of these factors leaves patients saddled with low energy levels, weight problems, suboptimal health trajectories, and confidence issues as they begin to see themselves as the problem.
One of Dr. Chern’s ‘a-ha’ moments came after reading about the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. After reviewing a great deal of research, a team of experts discussed the role of testosterone in men’s health. They recommended further research on healthy levels of testosterone because higher levels were linked to lots of health benefits, chiefly reduced mortality.
Trained in and practicing traditional medicine for the military, Dr. Chern had to overcome his own idea that hormone replacement is “outside of the scope of real medicine”. However, he had many requests from patients for testosterone replacement and thought the Mayo Clinic conclusions were compelling.
He began to question reference levels from blood tests that he’d ordered many times himself. Why did patients exhibit symptoms although falling within reference levels? One thing to think about is that a reference level means within the normal range of adults of a similar profile. Normal is not the same as optimal!
He conducted additional research on testosterone levels. He settled on the company BioTE which produces bioidentical hormones and a line of supplements. He concluded that their quality level and the delivery method they used led to better results than many pharmacies.
He wondered about delivery methods. Creams, sublingual, and oral forms of estrogen have been linked to higher inflammation markers. Chronic inflammation is linked increasingly to cancer.
Just as troubling was what he learned about testosterone, especially shots that trap men into a cycle of high testosterone the day of injection that wanes over the next few days and diminishes long before the next shot is due. This also contributes to stroke, heart attack, and clots.
After attending three days of training packed with research, he decided that pellet therapy offered the most consistent delivery method and BioTE offered the best quality. As a traditional doctor he’d prescribed many creams and oral hormones. He could never truly conclude that the medicine was ineffective. It may have been a patient’s ability to use it exactly or the quality was poor and not delivering the dose he prescribed.
After trying BioTE on himself, he immediately decided to set himself on a trajectory to leave traditional medicine and to start his own clinic. He felt fantastic. With stress levels down, energy and concentration up, and libido improved, he knew he was on track. Higher testosterone levels resulted in lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
His success stories are many. One is a female patient who had been told year after year that her thyroid levels were normal. Normal, but not optimal! He saw her go gradually from 330 pounds to 260 pounds. Once well enough to incorporate diet and exercise, she got to what she called “Wonderland”, a place under 200 pounds!
A 78 year old male patient practices jiu jitsu and participates in Ironman challenges. Higher testosterone levels are balanced with estrogen levels to retain cardiovascular protection.
To find out how Dr. Chern can help you optimize your hormone levels, contact his office to schedule a consultation.
Website: richardchernmd.com
Phone: 850-837-1271
Location: Miramar Beach next to Sushimoto & Clinic in Chipley, FL