Integrative Functional Medicine

Patient A, a 48-year-old woman was suffering from hot flashes, insomnia, low libido and overall “uncomfortable” feelings as a result of her transition through menopause. After her free screening, she completed her hormone lab panel and underwent our physical exam and medical history intake. Our medical team then evaluated her results and found that her hormonal composition had indeed shifted to unhealthy levels, with suboptimal testosterone, progesterone and estrogen causing undesirable effects of menopause that were invading her life. We developed an HRT program for her, and she is currently undergoing hormone replacement therapy to address and reverse these symptoms.
However, during her HRT onboarding, we also uncovered that Patient A was at severe risk of a cardiovascular event. Her lipids were severely elevated, her C-reactive proteins were skyrocketing and her blood pressure on top of those results was particularly concerning. She had always been a healthy weight and never experience traditional signs of cardiovascular disease, but her bloodwork revealed that—without some immediate and meaningful changes—she was at serious risk of a heart attack.

Optimizing your hormones is not done in a vacuum. These changes can and often do benefit your body’s overall ability to maintain good cardiovascular health as you experience HRT-related improvements in endurance, energy, libido, weight optimization and motivation. But addressing an issue like impaired cardiovascular health, adrenal fatigue, GI disturbances, obesity, diabetes and beyond, takes more time and a tailored focus.

Patient A is now under separate consultation with Anita Nicholson, who has extensive experience and training in cardiovascular health. Anita is intimately familiar with Patient A’s bloodwork and medical history. During their initial one-hour Integrative Functional Medical Consultation, Anita covered the key, tangible heart health protocols she had developed specifically for Patient A based on her condition, lifestyle and other contributing factors like stress, diet, sleep patterns, etc.

“Traditional medicine is more disease focused, with often quick visits in and out rather developing a wellness plan, a preventative plan, or a plan for healthy aging,” said Anita. “That takes a partnership with an expert, and close monitoring and follow up.”

Patient A is now seeing Anita once every six weeks for a 30-minute encounter to monitor her progression and is working toward a lifestyle that is not only free of her previously debilitating menopause symptoms, but that will help ensure she doesn’t suffer from a life-threatening cardio event.

Patient B, a 51-year-old male came in suffering from fatigue, weight gain and sluggishness. He was an active man in his younger days, but lately hasn’t felt the energy or drive to live the kind of life he used to. After completing his medical history intake, physical exam and blood tests, we found Patient B was not only extremely testosterone deficient, but that his anti-thyroglobin (anti-TG) antibody levels were exceptionally high. The presence of anti-TG antibodies is often a sign of a thyroid autoimmune disorder, in his case, Hashimoto’s disease, and can lead to a host of symptoms that include extreme fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, bloating in the face, and, in some cases, more serious issues like advanced hypothyroidism.
While HRT does take into account the monitoring and balancing of your thyroid hormones, an autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto’s may require additional treatment modalities. In this case, our Integrative Functional Medicine services will allow Patient B to learn about ways beyond HRT that can help him manage his condition—a condition that his traditional medical providers have overlooked for years, perhaps even decades.