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

General Schedule: Via On Demand video replays

Credit Available: 12 hours total

Course Description

This course will provide an extensive literature review of endocrine physiology, and environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors that impact men and women hormone function. Medical history, physical exam, hormone profiles, and other diagnostic tests will be reviewed. Emphasis will be placed on improving endocrine function with evidence-based lifestyle and dietary approaches. The role of peptide therapy, nutraceuticals and hormone therapy will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives

  1. Present a comprehensive review of endocrine physiology.
  2. Present a comprehensive literature review of health conditions impacted by hormone deficiencies and imbalances.
  3. Review the scientific literature for nutrients, dietary approaches, and lifestyle applications that impact endocrine function.
  4. Present how clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests are used to identify hormone imbalances.
  5. Emphasize how to develop individualized and evidence-based clinical approaches to endocrine related disorders.

Hormone Imbalances Throughout the Lifespan – Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications

Part 1

Session 1: Essential Concepts of Endocrinology

  • Endocrine system development and senescence throughout the lifespan
  • Hormone deficiency versus imbalance versus hormone receptor downregulation
  • Hormone synthesis
    • Feedback loop systems
    • Endocrine gland synthesis enzymes
    • Endocrine gland autoimmunity
    • Endocrine gland senescence
  • Hormone transport
    • Hormone binding proteins and their impact on free fraction hormones
    • Medications and hormones that impact free fraction levels
  • Hormone receptor binding
    • Homotropic and heterotrophic modulation
    • Hormone receptor transcription
  • Hormone clearance
  • Hormone analysis differences between blood, serum, and urine
  • The impact of oral, topical, sublingual, and suppository delivery on lab measurements

Session 2: Environmental, Lifestyle, and Dietary Factors that Impact Endocrine Function

  • Endocrine disrupting chemicals (receptor agonists and antagonists)
  • Environmental chemicals that impact hepatic and microbiome biotransformation
  • Environmental chemicals that damage and promote senescence of endocrine glands
  • Lifestyle factors (sleep, exercise, stress) that impact endocrine function
  • Dietary factors that impact endocrine function (hyperinsulinemia factors, dysbiosis and microbiome factors, and inflammatory factors)

Session 3: The Physiological Web of Female, Male, Adrenal, and Thyroid Hormones

  • The impact of hormones on mitochondria and cellular biogenetics
  • The impact of hormones on cognitive function, mood, neurodevelopment, and neurodegenerative disorders
  • The impact of hormones on vascular function and cardiovascular disease
  • The impact of hormones on immune function, autoimmunity, and systemic inflammation
  • The impact of hormones on gastrointestinal and microbiome function
  • The impact of hormones on bone and muscle integrity

Session 4: Nutraceuticals and Peptides that Impact Endocrine Function

  • Essential micronutrients necessary for hormone synthesis
  • Botanicals that exhibit hormone receptor modulation
  • Botanicals that impact endocrine activation
  • The role of essential fatty acids in prostaglandin modulation of hormones
  • Nutraceuticals that impact hormone biotransformation
  • Peptides that impact endocrine function

Session 5: Review of Part 1 and Questions

Part 2

Session 6: Hormone Disorders Throughout the Lifespan

  • Pubertal and teenage endocrine disorders
  • Abnormal menstruation disorders
  • Perimenopause imbalances
  • Menopause imbalances
  • Andropause imbalances

Session 7: Clinical Evaluation of Endocrine Dysfunction

  • Medical history to identify endocrine disorders and associated factors
  • Physical examination findings of endocrine disorders
  • Hormone profiles
  • Adjunctive lab profiles (toxicology profiles, microbiome profiles, endocrine antibody tests, essential fatty acid profiles, dysglycemia profiles, genomic profiles)

Session 8: Treatment Strategies of Endocrine Dysfunction

  • Dietary, lifestyle, nutraceutical strategies to impact endocrine function
  • Peptide therapy to impact endocrine function
  • Hormone replacement strategies

Session 9: Case Studies in Endocrine Dysfunction

  • Clinical Case Studies

Session 10: Review of Part 2 and Questions