Liebowitz Longevity Medicine

11/14/2025

BLACK BOX WARNING REMOVED FROM FEMALE HORMONES

This past July, after convening a panel of experts to review the safety of estrogen products, the FDA announced that it is removing the black box warning on these products.
The warning was added to these products back in 2003 over concerns that they might increase the risk of certain conditions such as breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots, and potentially dementia.
The warning was issued based on a severely flawed study on menopausal hormone replacement called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). There were a number of glaring deficiencies in this study that were carelessly overlooked.

The hormones used in this study were derived from pregnant horses’ urine. Furthermore, they were all given orally. There was no evaluation of hormones administered transdermally or injected subcutaneously. The progesterone or progestins were administered daily with no breaks.
Furthermore, the population of women in the study were at least 10 years post-menopause or older, so that it was conceivable that the illnesses they developed may have already been developing at the time they started to take the hormones.
There was also a subgroup of women in the study that had hysterectomies. This subgroup was not given any progestins. They showed the same rate of developing breast cancer taking the oral estrogens without progesterone compared to the control group of women who did not take any hormones.
This finding, in the hysterectomy subgroup, was basically ignored by the researchers when they generated their conclusions. Probably because they failed to understand it, and it didn’t fit into the general conclusions.

What is a Black Box Warning?

Black box warnings are specific health concerns that manufacturers of medications are required by law to apply to labels of medications.

Removing the black box warning on estrogens is a huge step forward towards more general acceptance of menopausal hormone replacement therapy for women gaining mainstream medicine acceptance.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT HORMONES TODAY?

As I mentioned, the hormones studied in the WHI were all oral, derived from pregnant horse urine. Today’s hormones are extracted from plant sources, thus termed bioidentical. They are chemically identical to the hormones made in the human body. In addition, they are not administered orally, which makes a big difference. Oral hormones undergo what is called First Pass through the liver. In other words, the hormones are absorbed from the stomach and GI tract and go directly to the liver via the portal vein. This produces a high concentration of hormone to the liver all at once. This surge of hormone to the liver can increase the liver’s stimulus to produce clotting factors, which can lead to blood clots.

Today’s hormones are administered through the skin or under the skin. Since they don’t enter the GI tract, they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. By the time they reach the liver, they are very dilute. Therefore, they don’t increase the risk of blood clots.
Progesterone is the only female hormone that can be administered orally, safely, without the risk of increasing clotting factors. So, progesterone is often taken orally with no problems.

DOES TAKING ESTROGEN INCREASE THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER?

This question has been a raging controversy for decades. And, it is generally thought that it does. However, a review of the world literature on female hormone replacement, published in the LANCET in 2017 concluded that estrogen by itself did not increase the risk of women developing breast cancer. This conclusion was based on many studies of women who had hysterectomies, taking all sorts of different estrogen preparations. But, the big difference with these women’s hormone regimens was that they didn’t take any progesterone. These women, including those in the WHI, had the same rates of developing breast cancer as women who never took hormones. Women who never take hormones still get breast cancer. It was therefore surmised that it was the addition of progesterone (or progestins) to the hormone cocktail that actually increased the rate of breast cancer. This finding is quite surprising. But, it has been confirmed in many hormone studies with various estrogen preparations.
I assume that when the panel of experts reviewed the available data on women’s hormones, this was the reason they decided to remove the black box warning on estrogen products.
The women with the highest rate of developing breast cancer on hormones were those who took progesterone every day.
Women who took cyclical progesterone (two weeks on and two weeks off) had a slightly higher rate of breast cancer than women who took no progesterone, but significantly lower than women who took progesterone daily.

It is necessary for women on estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) with an intact uterus to take some progesterone, or they run the risk of having “unopposed estrogen” stimulation to the uterus, which can lead to uterine cancer. The progesterone serves to protect the uterus and is therefore required for women with a uterus taking estrogen.

The interesting conclusion to this observation is that it’s the progesterone schedule which seems to be the culprit in increasing the risk of breast cancer from menopausal hormones, and not the estrogen as is so commonly thought.

This makes perfect sense physiologically. The only time in a woman's life that she has daily progesterone is during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a relatively short period of time. So to put women on daily progesterone for prolonged stretches of time is very unnatural. It then seems logical that an unnatural hormone pattern would cause problems. Additionally, progesterone is a pregnancy hormone. Its job is to prepare the mother for the birth of a child, which includes stimulating the breasts to produce milk. It therefore further stands to reason that a hormone stimulating the breasts for an indefinite period of time will cause problems. And it does.

THIS IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD IN WOMEN’S HEALTH

Needless to say, the FDA’s action of removing the black box will serve to significantly help advance the use of postmenopausal hormone replacement, as more doctors become comfortable prescribing it, and more women feel more comfortable taking them.

If you or someone you know is interested in using hormones, call or email the office to set up a time to discuss it.

In Radiant Health,
Dr. Howard Liebowitz

Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

07/17/2025

PROSTATE PRO X FOR MEN

Prostate Pro X is developed as a customized proprietary supplement product to improve men’s prostate health. It is not just for men taking testosterone, but all men can benefit from it. It was not developed based on any of its own research, but was formulated based on medical information gleaned from reading published articles written about the individual ingredients.

It has not been reviewed by any official medical or government agency including the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Despite all good intentions of this product helping to improve prostate health in general, there are no inherent guarantees of its success in producing the results it is intended to improve.

INGREDIENTS IN 4 CAPSULES:

Zinc 10 mg, Lycopene 2 mg (tomato extract), Selenium 50 mcg have been noted in various studies to generally improve prostate health, prevent enlargement of the gland and possibly lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. In addition, zinc is an inhibitor of two enzymes affecting prostate health. It is a 5 alpha reductase blocker, which reduces the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, and it also is an aromatase inhibitor which blocks the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. This is an important feature as both of those end products can cause the prostate to enlarge, which eventually can restrict urine flow preventing emptying of the bladder. Plant Sterols 900 mg and Saw Palmetto 320 mg are both 5 alpha reductase inhibitors which block the conversion of testosterone into the dihydro testosterone form. They can help prevent prostatic enlargement. DIM is also in the formula 150 mg. This is an extract of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. DIM is a natural aromatase inhibitor, blocking the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. The other additional supplement included is Vitamin D3 with K2 5000iu and 50 mcg just as a basic source of this essential vitamin.

BUY PROSTATE PRO X NOW: https://shop.liebowitzlongevity.com/collections/frontpage/products/prostate-pro-x

07/02/2025

Peptides such as GHK Copper and BPC 157 help promote tissue healing after injury or surgery and are also reported to help promote cartilage and tendon regeneration in joints. BPC may prove to be able to reduce the number of joint replacement surgeries needed because of its ability to regenerate cartilage.

There are peptides for the immune system and to help stroke recovery. The list of benefits attributed to peptides goes on and on. There are now books written about peptides, and in the near future they will be taking their place in the areas of traditional medicine.

Right now, most peptides are still in research stages, but some physicians feel comfortable enough about using them that they are being prescribed more and more for various conditions.

I personally have been prescribing peptides for my patients for years for things like weight loss, blood sugar reduction, boosting growth hormone and muscle mass and healing joints. I have also used Glutathione for 20 years and am now using various peptides in conjunction with Ozone injected into joints to help promote cartilage regeneration and reduce inflammation.

If you would like to discuss how peptides might benefit you, contact our office at info@drhowardliebowitz.com for more information.

06/09/2025

BENEFITS OF BREAST PRO X FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH

Breast Pro X is a customized proprietary supplement created by Dr. Howard Liebowitz after many years of study and experience treating women with post menopausal hormone
replacement therapy.

This formula has not undergone any specific investigation and has not been reviewed by any formal health agency including the FDA. However, information gleaned from numerous research articles published in peer reviewed medical journals serves as the background for data used in the decision making for the inclusion of each of the individual ingredients.

Breast Pro X was created with the intention of making the metabolism of estrogen in hormone replacement therapy to be as safe as possible. Each ingredient was selected based on the
medical literature documenting how it could effectively lower the risk of breast cancer based on its effect on estrogen metabolism. However, with the best intentions in mind, there is no
guarantee that the formula or combination of the ingredients would indeed absolutely lower a person’s risk of developing breast cancer, as the cause of breast cancer is complicated and
multifactorial. There is no presumption that any single product could claim to prevent breast cancer. Instead, it would be more accurate to say that any product, or specifically this product, may possibly be able to have an effect of reducing the risk of developing breast cancer purely based on estrogen stimulation of breast tissue alone. Being only one such risk factor, this potential may or may not be true. Nevertheless, an attempt is made to produce a product that makes estrogen metabolism to
some degree less likely to cause over stimulation to breast tissue.

Ingredients in 2 capsules:

Iodine 6.25 mg:
Based on worldwide evaluation of population studies, it was determined quite definitively that Japanese women, eating a traditional Japanese diet ,have the lowest rate of breast cancer in
the world. However, when Japanese women move to other westernized countries, their rate of breast cancer rises to the level of western women. This fact led researchers to surmise that
something in the traditional Japanese diet might account for the low rate of breast cancer. On further study, it appeared that the greatest discrepancy in their diet was the extremely high
amount of iodine derived from kelp and seaweed. Upon further study of the effect of iodine on estrogen, it was found that iodine significantly increased the conversion of estradiol into estriol.
Estriol is considered to be a “protective” estrogen in terms of breast cancer. Women who have high ratios of estriol to estradiol have been found to have lower rates of breast cancer. High
levels of iodine have been found to lower the rates of other cancer as well.

DIM (Diindolylmethane) 200 mg:
DIM is an extract from cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage and broccoli. DIM has been found to have a beneficial effect on estrogen metabolism resulting in a
lower percentage of “harmful estrogen particles”, and thereby producing a ratio of higher “good” estrogen to “bad” estrogen. This ratio can actually be measured in a 24 hour urine
collection for hormones and their metabolites.

CALCIUM D GLUCARATE 650 mg:
This is not the calcium that is commonly known to help bone density. Instead it is a form of calcium that actually doesn’t get absorbed into the blood stream very well, and remains in the
gut. Estrogen in the blood all passes through the liver where it undergoes a complex pathway of being broken down, part of which involves being excreted into the bile and then into the gutvia the entero-hepatic circulation. Once it enters the gut it is acted upon by additional enzymes and partially reabsorbed back into the blood stream. Some women are prolific absorbers of
this form of estrogen and are thus labelled “Estrogen Dominant”. Calcium d Glucarate serves as a “sponge” in the gut thus absorbing this bile secreted estrogen and binding it in the gut
preventing it from being reabsorbed into the blood stream, and thereby excreting it into the stool. This is a very natural way to prevent excessive build up of estrogen in the body tissues.

Vitamin D3 with K2 5000 iu:
Vitamin D3 is added to the formula because it is an essential fat soluble vitamin that is not available from any diet source. It is generally produced in our skin from exposure to UIVB light
from the sun. However, many of us either don’t spend enough time in the sun with skin exposed or we utilize sun block. Both reduce the production of Vitamin D in our bodies.
Vitamin D3 is essential for many functions in the body including the immune function. I have included it in this formula primarily because almost every patient I see is deficient of adequate
levels of Vitamin D.

BUY BREAST PRO X NOW:

Breast Pro X is a proprietary customized product formulated by Dr. Liebowitz primarily for women taking post-menopausal hormone replacement.

05/07/2025

There are many “families” of peptides grouped together based on what function in the body they help support. Peptides such as Sermorelin and Ipamorelin help boost growth hormone that in turn can help increase lean body mass and reduce fat. AOD is another peptide that boosts metabolism to help reduce body fat.

The weight loss peptides Semaglutide and Tirzepatide stimulate the pancreas to release insulin. They are useful for diabetics or people with insulin resistance. They also slow the digestive track and gastric emptying so people don’t feel hungry as often and result in decreased caloric intake with resultant weight loss.

03/17/2025

Watch our new interview about Ozone Therapy with Randy Alvarez from The Wellness Hour!

Randy returns to Liebowitz Longevity Medicine 7 years after our first video to discuss the power of Ozone Therapy with Dr. Howard Liebowitz.

Randy Alvarez (The Wellness Hour) sits down with Howard Liebowitz, M.D., Clinical Director of Liebowitz Longevity Medicine in Santa Monica, California to dis...

03/07/2025

You probably didn’t know that Glutathione and NAD are peptides. These have an effect on the immune system and also help reduce oxidative stress in the body. Amino acid supplements like NAC work as a precursor able to boost the body’s production of the peptide glutathione.

If you are interested in a consultation about peptide options, please contact our office at info@drhowardliebowitz.com.

02/25/2025

What are peptides?

Peptides are chains of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and hormones. Peptides are actually the “business end” of hormones. Instead of being the entire hormone, peptides are being synthesized as just the end of a long chain of amino acids that are responsible for sending a message to cells to do something. Sometimes it affects blood sugar, or metabolism, or the immune system, or regenerating damaged tissue, or regrowing cartilage, etc. The list of bodily functions affected by peptides is massive, and so is the growing list of available peptides.

02/17/2025

Peptides are becoming more and more popular as a medical treatment. There are peptides now in medicine that many people don’t even realize are peptides. One of the most utilized family of peptides are the new generation of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. These are just commercial names for peptides Semaglutide and Tirzepatide.

If you would like to discuss how peptides might benefit you, please call our office and book an appointment: 310-393-2333

02/14/2025

What is hyperbaric ozone and how does it work? Hyperbaric ozone infusions involve ozone being added to the blood that is collected in a special pressurized bottle. The ozonated blood is then returned to the patient and repeated up to ten bottles for a total of two liters of blood being ozonated under pressure. It is an effective and painless way to help treat infections and inflammation. Ozone therapy has been in use for medical treatments for over 100 years, with millions of treatments. It has been shown to be both safe and effective in boosting the immune system and decreasing inflammation without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Contact our office at info@drhowardliebowitz.com to get started with booking your ozone treatment.

01/30/2025

Browse and learn more about the supplements we offer, such as Breast Pro X and Prostate Pro X, on our online store!

howardliebowitz

11/20/2024

Dr. Liebowitz has been prescribing post menopausal hormones for 20 years and now has a number of women approaching 80 on them who feel great and look and live like they are 10-15 years younger.

Visit our website to learn more: www.liebowitzlongevity.com