Progesterone Protects the Uterus

by John R. Lee, M.D.

It was very rewarding to receive a phone call from Dr. Helene Leonetti telling me that her study comparing PremPro with Premarin and progesterone cream was complete, was soon to be published in a major peer-reviewed medical journal, and that it is to receive third prize at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical Meeting this spring.

Dr. Leonetti’s study effectively proves that progesterone cream protects the uterine lining (the endometrium) as well as progestins do. Most of you know that in conventional medicine, women who have a uterus are always supposed to be given a progestin along with their estrogen to protect them from uterine cancer. In spite of the many negative side effects of the progestins, many doctors have hesitated to prescribe progesterone cream instead, for fear it would not protect the endometrium. In Dr. Leonetti’s study, uterine tissue was examined before, during, and after using either PremPro (Premarin plus Provera) or a combination of Premarin and progesterone cream. The group using progesterone cream was found to be as well protected as the PremPro group. This should put to rest any concerns that physicians may have about using progesterone cream for hormone replacement.