“Hormone Imbalances throughout the Lifespan Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications”
Introduction to the Hormone Imbalances Course
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Identifying and Treating Hormone Imbalances Throughout the Lifespan
The Kharrazian Institute Hormone Imbalances Throughout the Lifespan course focuses on difficulties with hormone regulation and function in puberty and the early teenage years, menstrual cycle abnormalities, amenorrhea, perimenopause, and menopause in women. We also cover the mechanisms of hormonal imbalances that men encounter from the early teenage years into older age.
We will review the clinical applications for these various cases, starting with a thorough review of how the endocrine system works. We know that most hormone imbalances are due not to hormone deficiencies but to abnormal circadian rhythms and pituitary feedback loop issues, protein-bound fraction issues, sex hormone-binding globulin transport issues, and clearance issues.
We will go step-by-step through each major hormone and how they function, how they metabolize throughout the body, and how to run labs to correctly identify issues. We will then go into the web of endocrine dysfunctions and hormone regulation in relation to the gut, brain, cardiovascular system, microbiome, and biotransformation pathways.
We will go into:
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- Clinical evaluations for male and female imbalances
- Key things to take away from a medical history
- How to do saliva, serum, and urine testing
- The differences between age groups
- When testing is not valid
- The flaws and benefits with each type of testing
- Evidence-based dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle strategies for support.
The conventional medical approach to female hormones is oversimplified and pharmaceutically based
One of the topics I cover in this course is the oversimplified and pharmaceutically based conventional medical approach to female hormones.
For hormone imbalances in menstruating women, they are prescribed birth control pills. Once a woman reaches perimenopause, the prescription switches to synthetic estrogen and progestin. It’s a simplistic model that doesn’t explore the underlying mechanisms and causes of issues like mood disorders, metabolic issues, fatigue, cardiovascular risk, and neurodegenerative issues.
An individualized, personalized approach is critical when it comes to addressing hormone imbalances throughout the lifespan.
For instance, young female patients who miss periods or have abnormal menstrual cycles often suffer from insufficient caloric, protein, and fat intake. In these cases, treating them with birth control pills is a suboptimal approach.
The same can be said for natural medicine models, in which women are given multiple botanicals to stimulate their endocrine function when what they really need is sufficient macronutrients and blood sugar stability. As women enter into perimenopause, you can’t accurately measure hormones; it’s all about compensation. It’s a normal part of aging for the FSH response to the ovary feedback loop to start dysfunctioning, leading to estrogen fluctuations and symptoms like hot flashes, for which the adrenal system ideally compensates.
As a woman progresses into menopause, cardiovascular, neurological, and bone health become serious concerns.
All of these situations require personalized approaches and many of these conditions can be dramatically improved, if not completely corrected, with dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle approaches.
When you look at these applications in combination with the potential need for hormone replacement therapy and maintain awareness of possible adverse effects and risks with different types of therapies, you can develop a customized approach.
These are some of the concepts we will cover in the Kharrazian Institute course on Hormone Imbalances Throughout the Lifespan.
The often-overlooked pattern of male hormone imbalances
One topic we will cover in the course is the often-overlooked pattern of male hormone imbalances.
Unlike women, men don’t have a period where they suddenly develop perimenopause-like symptoms. Instead, their hormonal imbalances tend to come on more gradually.
These days, we are seeing teenage boys develop hormonal imbalances such as gynecomastia. It’s common to see hormonal imbalances in men in their 20s, even athletes, who are dealing with mood disorders, chronic metabolic disorders, inability to recover, low stamina, and other disorders.
In their 70s and 80s, they will develop endocrine senescence and their testicular reserves to produce testosterone diminishes. But we are increasingly seeing hormonal imbalances in men in their 40s and 50s. You have to ask why.
There is a myth that men simply need to go on testosterone replacement therapy, and everything will improve. In real life, the scenario is much different.
Many things can cause endocrine disorders in males, with the most common being severe systemic inflammation, which breaks down the integrity of the Leydig cells in the testes, thus compromising testosterone production.
Many men have issues with their testosterone converting to estrogen, called aromatization.
Understanding the impacts of birth control pills
It’s important to understand the impacts of birth control pills as they’re commonly used. Some women use them for oral contraception while others have prescribed them for acne or dysmenorrhea.
Many women respond to birth control pills with severe depression, weight gain, mood disorders, temperature fluctuations, hair loss, slowed metabolism, and symptoms that mimic a thyroid disorder. They are afraid to go off the pill but don’t understand why they suffer from so many side effects.
Many of these symptoms can be traced to an increase in thyroid-binding globulin due to the synthetic estrogen in birth control pills. This means free fraction T3 and T4 thyroid hormones are not able to create sufficient metabolic effects at the receptor sites. It’s not an actual hypothyroid disease because the thyroid gland is working. This is a well-known drug interaction overlooked in healthcare.
This is measured with a laboratory test looking at thyroid-binding globulin and ratios of free T3 and T4 to protein-bound T3 and T4.
Hormone imbalances are more complex than hormone deficiencies
An important concept for clinicians to understand is that hormone imbalances are more complex than just hormone deficiencies.
The basic model of hormone therapy and endocrine disorders is if a hormone is low, replace it so that levels are the same as someone in their 20s.
But that’s not how complicated endocrine disorders work. Chronic mood disorders, mood swings, metabolic shifts, unpredictable swelling, poor endurance, and problems recovering are all things that can occur when hormone systems are off balance.
When hormones become elevated, the symptoms can mimic those of hormone insufficiency due to receptor site resistance.
For instance, one of the most common causes of endocrine disorders in females is elevated testosterone primarily driven by insulin resistance.
In many men, insulin resistance promotes the conversion of testosterone to estrogen and an excess of estrogen. In these cases, giving them testosterone replacement therapy can exacerbate the problem of dominance due to the testosterone converting to estrogen.
Men can also have primary pituitary issues that prevent the luteinizing hormone from stimulating testicular Leydig cells to produce testosterone. Going on testosterone placement therapy can dramatically worsen this situation to the point where they can never come off the hormone.
When you look at hormone imbalances, you must consider factors such as pituitary feedback loop function, how well the gland synthesizes the hormone, hormone transport, how hormones go from a protein-bound to a free state, hormone receptor binding, hormone clearance through phase one and phase two pathways in the liver, and hormone clearance through the microbiome.
These are all important clinical factors that extend beyond whether someone is hormone deficient.
For many women, perimenopause is a turning point at which health dramatically declines
For many women, perimenopause becomes a turning point at which health dramatically declines. Research shows rates of Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis skyrocket once a woman goes into perimenopause.
Current research looking at the neuroendocrine-immune response in perimenopause has found that the sudden swings of hormone levels activate a systemic inflammatory response that can persist even after a woman goes on hormone replacement therapy.
When working with patients who are having early symptoms of perimenopause, how do you avoid those huge fluctuations of estrogens that then lead to hot flashes and inflammatory spikes? How do you help them transition smoothly into menopause without these dramatic and inflammatory shifts?
This all has to do with the body’s compensatory systems, which include:
- Prostaglandin synthesis
- The ability for the adrenal glands to make estrogens
- Microbiome biotransformation
- Hepatic biotransformation
- Blood sugar stability
- Thyroid function
- Other metabolic factors
Various factors explain why some women smoothly transition from perimenopause into menopause while for others it’s the worst period of their life. For the latter, we now know that a systemic inflammatory response from the dramatic hormonal fluctuations turns on neuroinflammation and vascular inflammation and promotes bone loss.
A personalized lifestyle approach to optimize their physiology before they transition into menopause can help mitigate these issues.
Both conventional and alternative medical model approaches to hormonal imbalances are overly simplistic
The conventional medical model’s approach to hormonal imbalances is overly simplistic and pharmaceutical, while the alternative model frequently falls back on an herbal instead of a pharmaceutical model.
These can include herbs like blue cohosh, black cohosh, soy isoflavones, or stinging nettle. However, this model ignores underlying physiological mechanisms necessary for normal endocrine function.
For example, female patients with abnormal menstrual cycles and hormone imbalances are given things like black cohosh, soy isoflavones, or different endocrine-modulating supplements. Even worse, some teenagers are put on hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills.
Practitioners should instead be asking why the patient is experiencing these imbalances in the first place.
It can be simple things like getting enough healthy fat in the diet as prostaglandins are critical for hormone function. Many female patients with dysmenorrhea do not eat enough fat or protein. Most are falling significantly short of the recommended 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
It’s also common to see significant patterns of hypoglycemia or insulin resistance driving hormone imbalances.
These are factors frequently overlooked in favor of herbs or drugs.
Dr. Kharrazian is a leading expert in diagnosing and treating hormone imbalances
Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, DC, MS, MMSc, FACN, is a Harvard Medical School trained researcher, clinical research scientist, academic professor, and a functional medicine health care provider. Dr. Kharrazian earned a Master of Medical Science degree (MMSc) in Clinical Investigation from Harvard Medical School, and is a member of the Harvard Medical Alumni Association and the American Association of Immunologists.
Today, Dr. Kharrazian’s clinical models of functional medicine are used by several academic institutions, and thousands of health care clinics and practices providers throughout the world.
He maintains a private practice near San Diego, California, and consults with patients from all over the world who are seeking non-pharmaceutical alternatives. His practice is focused on developing a personalized medical approach using diet, nutrition, and lifestyle approaches.
After decades of analyzing thousands of studies and working with patients in the United States and Europe, Dr. Kharrazian developed never-taught-before clinical strategies to successfully manage hormone imbalances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do any materials come with this course?
You receive access to all the recorded live videos, presentation slides, published papers, Q&A’s, assessment forms, supplement information, protocols, and all other supporting material for one year after the livestream. This means you can rewatch the recorded lectures as many times as you’d like during this period.
Do I receive continuing education credits for this class?
12 hours of CEs are available for licensed health care practitioners. Please see the bottom of this page for more particulars.
What if I can’t digest all the information at once?
First, you are given pre-class reading material to begin familiarizing yourself with the material. Then, you have access to the recorded lectures and supporting materials for up to three years (depending on when you purchase). This means you can rewatch lectures as many times as you need.
What if I have questions after the class?
When you register you are invited to join a Members Only Kharrazian Institute Facebook group where you can ask questions and discuss cases with other practitioners.
How can patients in my area learn about me and the fact that I have taken this class?
We have created an online practitioner referral page. Licensed practitioners who have completed all of the Kharrazian Institute courses will be added to the list. Patients can search the list to look for practitioners in their area.
What if parts of the class are unfamiliar to me?
All of the Kharrazian Institute classes are designed to complement one another. As you take all the courses over time you will receive an extraordinarily comprehensive functional medicine education. Different pieces of human physiology, neurology, immunology, and endocrinology all fit together like pieces of a puzzle for one comprehensive understanding of patient evaluation and care.
MARK HYMAN, MD
Dr. Kharrazian has been a prominent educator and highly-respected clinician in the functional medicine community since the inception of functional medicine. He is an expert clinician and an innovator in this field.
CLEVELAND CLINIC, DIRECTOR OF CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
CHAIRMAN, INSTITUTE FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
TEN-TIME NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR
JEFFREY BLAND, PHD, FACN, FACB
I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Kharrazian for more than a decade and observing his professional growth and impact as a key opinion leader in the field of Functional Neurology. He is voracious in his pursuit of learning and skill development. His pursuit of post-graduate studies at Harvard in research methods has embellished his already significant expertise in systems medicine and its application to Functional Medicine. He has a unique skill in making complex information accessible to his students and patients alike, which is a measure of an individual who is a master of his field. Dr. Kharrazian is a humble, quietly competent leader who leads by example and his presence. The Functional Medicine field is rapidly evolving, and it is through the work and leadership of a select group of professionals, of which Dr. Kharrazian is a recognized leader, that it is growing in both its adoption and successful application to the treatment of complex chronic diseases. It is truly a pleasure to call Dr. Kharrazian both a colleague and friend in our mutual advocacy in the development and application of Functional Medicine.
CO-FOUNDER, INSTITUTE OF FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
PRESIDENT, PERSONALIZED LIFESTYLE MEDICINE INSTITUTE
Why is Dr. Kharrazian’s Hormone Imbalances course different?
Dr. Kharrazian is an actual clinician who has been successfully managing hormone imbalances in the United States and Europe for more than 20 years.
Dr. Kharrazian has witnessed countless real-life patient scenarios and developed proven strategies to address commonly overlooked issues.
Dr. Kharrazian is both a scientist and an educator.
Dr. Kharrazian has been an innovator in the field of functional medicine since its inception.
Dr. Kharrazian stays continually up-to-date with the latest scientific and medical research.
Dr. Kharrazian was trained as a clinical investigator (Master of Medical Science in Clinical Investigation) at Harvard Medical School and can effectively share with you the most relevant research.
Dr. Kharrazian has published a number of immunology studies in the most respected medical journals in the world.
DAVE PERLMUTTER, MD, FACN, ABIHM
Dr. Kharrazian’s work represents the vanguard in our understanding of the role of lifestyle choices in charting the brain’s destiny. His highly effective educational outreach has opened the door for countless healthcare providers, allowing them to dramatically increase their effectiveness in treating and indeed preventing so many of the pernicious conditions that plague our modern society.
AUTHOR, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK,
GRAIN BRAIN AND BRAIN MAKER
KELLY BROGAN, MD, ABIHM
Dr. Datis Kharrazian is one of the most powerful clinicians of our time. From the lab to the clinic, he has studied, vetted, and applied his cutting-edge science to heal patients all over the world. I consider him to be a foremost authority in a systems approach to recovery and wellness.
AUTHOR, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK, A MIND OF YOUR OWN
TERRY WAHLS, MD, IFMCP
Dr. Kharrazian is a brilliant clinician educator who has inspired many, myself included. He is superb at teaching clinicians the power of using functional medicine-oriented history and physical examination to understand and address the root causes of disease and health. Integrating the latest research and years of clinical experience, Dr. Kharrazian, is an international leader in Functional Medicine.
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE WAHLS PROTOCOL – HOW I BEAT
PROGRESSIVE MS USING PALEO PRINCIPLES AND FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, CARVER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
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ON DEMAND Registration
Hormone Imbalances Course
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IMPORTANT NOTE: After registration, you will receive an email titled Important Login Info: Kharrazian Institute… which contains your login credentials for immediate access to all course materials and videos. After watching all videos and successfully completing the online examinations for each course, you will receive a “KI Certificate of Completion”. Otherwise, you are incomplete for the course.
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Please complete the KI course before you order the CE Credits from National University. You are NOT complete for the course unless you pass both primary exams AND watch the livestream or all videos for both days AND after you have received the KI Certificate of Completion. Attendance via onsite live (when available) does not require exams.
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Testimonials about the Kharrazian Institute courses
More testimonials
PEDRAM SHOJAI, OMD
Dr. Kharrazian is one of the greatest minds in the functional medicine space. He’s a trailblazer and an innovator. His courses are gold and his direction is wise. If you’re in healthcare and are ready to be on the right side of history, study with this man.
AUTHOR, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK, THE URBAN MONK
FOUNDER OF WELL.ORG
DAVID MUSNICK, MD
Dr. Kharrazian is one of the most skilled Functional medicine practitioners in the country. His understanding of interrelationships in physiology puts him in the top tier of Functional Medicine writers and educators in this country.
FACULTY OF THE INSTITUTE FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
NORA GEDGAUDAS, CNS, NTP, BCHN
Datis Kharrazian is truly among the great medical geniuses of our time. His capacity to think outside the box is second to none. He brings cutting-edge insights to the table that others have missed along the way and for this we should be eternally grateful.
AUTHOR, PRIMAL BODY, PRIMAL MIND AND PRIMAL FAT BURNER
ELIZABETH BOHAM, MD, RD
Dr. Kharrazian is a leader in functional medicine, always looking to discover the root cause of illness or dysfunction in the body and, most importantly, uncovering novel therapies to improve optimal function.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE ULTRAWELLNESS CENTER
MARK FLANNERY, DC, MS, BS
Dr. Kharrazian’s education gave me the knowledge and confidence to take on complicated chronic cases. I would not have the patient success I have without the information I gained from Dr. Kharrazian. I have taken many seminars by many different doctors but I could not do what I do without the knowledge I gained from Dr. Kharrazian.
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH WISE CLINICAL NUTRITION
JOSHUA REDD, DC, MS
Dr. Kharrazian’s education has been pivotal in every aspect of my practice. His curriculum has been my foundation for building seven thriving functional medicine clinics. I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding career path.
FOUNDER OF RED RIVER HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER
AUTHOR, THE TRUTH ABOUT LOW THYROID
SHANE STEADMAN, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, CNS
In the last decade, I have seen Dr. Kharrazian change the landscape of healthcare. His ability to integrate functional medicine, immunology, and neurology is second to none. Individuals like Dr. Kharrazian come around once in a lifetime. I could not be more honored to learn from him and consider him to be a wonderful mentor. I sincerely believe the Kharrazian Institute will continue to evolve health care.
DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEMS AND INTEGRATED BRAIN CENTERS
