Instructor: Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, DC, MS, MMSc, DACNB, DACBN, FACN

Location: On Demand Video Replays

Credit Available: 8 hours total

Course Description

This course will review the clinical principles of functional medicine and compare and contrast the functional medicine model to other healthcare models.  The role of personalized and lifestyle medicine will be emphasized with strategies that emphasize diet, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and nutraceuticals. Essential principles involving specific systems of the body that include the brain, gastrointestinal system, immune system, bioenergetics, endocrine system, and biotransformation systems will be presented.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand when the functional medicine model is appropriate in healthcare management.
2. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the functional medicine model.
3. Understand how functional medicine differs from other healthcare models.
4. Understand the principles of individualized medicine.
5. Understand how lifestyle medicine can impact health and function
6. Understand how various diets may impact systems biology
7. Understand how nutraceuticals can be used to impact various physiological pathways.
8. Review how the medical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests can be used to evaluate biological function.
9. Understand how to incorporate principles of lifestyle medicine, diet, and nutraceuticals to improve physiological function and health.
10. Understand how to monitor biological function and health after personalized interventional strategies.

Essentials of Functional Medicine
Course Schedule

Topic 1: Functional Medicine Model of Healthcare (60 minutes)

• The principles of physiology and evidence-based medicine in functional medicine
• Physiological dysfunction versus disease
• Comparison of functional medicine models to preventive medicine, longevity medicine, anti-aging medicine, green medicine, naturopathic medicine, nutritional deficiency models, pharmacology, and herbology
• Upstream versus downstream medicine
• Identifying appropriate candidates for functional medicine interventions

Topic 2: Clinical Principles of Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• How to evaluate physiological dysfunction in combination with standard methods of diagnosis
• How to identify triggering events that impact function and health
• How to identify and incorporate lifestyle factors that impact function and health
• How to identify nutrient deficiencies
• How to use laboratory tests to evaluate physiological function and health
• How to incorporate individualized dietary and nutraceutical strategies to improve function and health.

Topic 3: Brain Essentials in Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• Brain dysfunction versus brain disease
• Principles of neuroplasticity and neuroconnectivity
• Neurochemical functions
• Neuroinflammation
• Blood-brain barrier
• Cerebral blood flow
• Neurodegenerative pathophysiology

Topic 4: Immune System Essentials in Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• Layers of the immune system (barriers, complement protein, innate immunity, and adaptive immunity)
• Immune reactivity versus chronic inflammation
• Pathogen immunity
• Allergy and sensitivity

Topic 5: Bioenergetic Essentials in Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• The role of mitochondria and ATP in health and disease
• The role of blood glucose and ketones in bioenergetics
• The role of oxygen in bioenergetics
• The role of inflammation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant systems in bioenergetics

Topic 6: Endocrine System Essentials in Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• Metabolic functions of the endocrine system
• Reproductive and regenerative functions of the endocrine system
• Catabolic versus anabolic activity
• Stress physiology and pathophysiology

Topic 7:  Biotransformation Essentials in Functional Medicine (60 minutes)

• Phase 1 oxidation/reduction
• Phase 2 conjugation
• Elimination pathways

Topic 8: Summary of Essential Concepts of Functional Medicine (45 minutes) and Questions and Answers (15 minutes)