Hone Health's Clinical Stance on Treatment

Clinical

Hone’s Clinical Stance on Treating Hormone Deficiency

Hone’s mission is to help men and women understand that age doesn’t have to have any limits, and that you can get better in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Our offering is an easy-to-use telemedicine solution for men and women going through pre/peri/post menopause, low testosterone problems, hormone imbalances, and just generally trying to live healthier and longer.

We pride ourselves on creating one of the safest health optimization clinics in the country, with physicians that deeply know how to treat these conditions. The longer-term goal is to become the largest anti-aging and longevity service that helps people live longer in the world.

Clinical

How do physicians balance hormones and fix low testosterone?

Hormone optimization is the science of measuring your hormones and, if deficient, integrating treatment that includes using lifestyle changes, supplements and/or pharmaceuticals to get or return your hormone levels back to an optimal, healthy range. Everyone’s body is unique and an optimal range is different for each person. Licensed medical professionals, who have years of experience in diagnosing and treating patients can help you find the right course of treatment and optimal range for you.
Some clinics might treat patients who are already in the optimal range; however, licensed physicians Hone works with only prescribe to men who are hypogonadal, or have clinically low testosterone levels and are symptomatic.

Clinical

Does Hone promote any particular type of treatment?

No. Licensed physicians affiliated with Hone personally review your medical and family history, symptoms, fertility goals, labs, age, vitals, etc., before making a diagnosis or establishing any treatment plan, if any.

Once a patient assessment has been conducted, a thorough treatment plan will be established by the physician for the patient. The plan can include lifestyle guidance and education (for example, changes in diet, exercise, stress, sleep, etc.), use of supplements and/or pharmaceuticals.
Physicians will provide education and guidance around lifestyle modifications at each consultation to make sure patients know how to incorporate them into their lives. Every patient is different and it’s up to the physician to decide the best treatment plan, or if any treatment plan, is appropriate.
Our patient base ranges from 25 to 80 years of age, and it is up to licensed physicians to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Clinical

Are there ways that I can naturally optimize my hormones?

Before you take any medication, there are a number of important lifestyle changes you should consider, since they could improve your hormone imbalance.

You should:
– Get 7-8 hours of sleep
– Exercise regularly
– Reduce or stop your consumption of alcohol
– Try supplements
– Get enough sunlight daily
If you want additional advice on how to incorporate these changes into your life, we’ll be publishing a free course soon to help you. If you’ve tried these and are still experiencing symptoms, then consulting with a licensed physician who understands hormones may be the right next step for you.
Each patients’ situation is unique (biology, environment, psychology) and it is up to the physician to determine if and when a patient should try medication in addition to lifestyle modifications.

Clinical

For Men: Will a licensed physician working with Hone prescribe testosterone to anyone?

No. Prescribing testosterone must be deemed medically appropriate as evaluated by a licensed physician who follows evidence-based clinical protocols and requires the following before any prescription is issued. There are many cases where patients have low testosterone, but a licensed physician will not prescribe testosterone or other medications due to factors such as age, and an unwillingness to make lifestyle adjustments such as weight loss, reducing smoking and alcohol consumption, and inadequate sleep, among many other reasons.

Clinical diagnosis of hypogonadism, supported by medical history, patient symptoms, lab evaluation, questionnaires such as qADAM and a one-on-one audio/video consult.
Lab testing that includes tests for testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, albumin, LH, estradiol, ALT, AST, HCT, PSA and others.
Two (2) separate testosterone readings and other tests that help physicians evaluate need and safety, and validate results.
Review of your fertility goals.
A review of the risks and benefits of hormone optimization, and your willingness to move forward with treatment.
Your willingness to complete follow-up testing and physician consultations every 90 days.
Your willingness to make lifestyle adjustments.

Clinical

Are physicians incentivized to provide any particular treatment?

No. Licensed physicians work for an independent, physician-owned medical group, and they are not compensated based on any treatment decisions. They are compensated based solely on completing a consult and their compensation does not vary based on patient diagnoses or if a prescription is issued. The independent, physician-owned medical group is responsible for all decisions related to physicians and medical care.

Clinical

Do physicians review the risks and benefits of any medication?

Yes, physicians have sufficient knowledge of the risks and benefits associated with the medicines they subscribe to patients. Physicians spend time explaining these during the consultation, and patients are required to consent to these risks before medication is provided.

Clinical

For Men: Can I have children if I go on hormone optimization?

Your physician will speak to you about the risks and benefits of taking each one of your medications. If having children is one of your goals, testosterone may not be your initial choice for optimization treatment as it could reduce your chances of fertility in the future.
However, there are other medications that may be used for treatment optimization that help increase testosterone while preserving sperm production. Your physician will share these options with you prior to establishing your treatment plan. Additionally, if you and your physician decide to take testosterone there may be ways to restart your body’s natural production of sperm.

Clinical

For Men: If I decide to go on low testosterone treatment do I have to be on treatment forever?

It depends on several factors: your age, health, medications, lifestyle practices, and desired outcomes.
The need for testosterone therapy is due to a deficiency and may be caused by several factors. Depending on the cause, one may be on testosterone therapy long term (similar to taking medications for chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis etc) or short term.
If you decide to take testosterone it may reduce your natural testosterone production over the long term. If at some point you decide to stop the use of testosterone, our physicians may taper your testosterone dose over time and may add an additional medication to try and stimulate the production of your natural testosterone – this may take several months. This is very important and you’ll be required to consent when you begin this particular kind of therapy.
Some of our patients have been on hormone optimization for years, while others have successfully transitioned off.

Hone’s vision is very large and doesn’t stop at hormone optimization. We are huge believers in holistic health and know that hormones are one small piece of a much larger puzzle. We’ll move into new therapeutic categories, behavior modification around diet and exercise, and mental and emotional mindset in the future. Hone will become the optimization platform for your life.