Statins: Common Perceptions Versus Clinical Reality in Women
Statins are widely prescribed medications, primarily known for their ability to lower cholesterol, but what is the clinical reality of statin use in women?
In my clinical practice, and supported by a growing amount of scientific literature, the approach to cardiovascular health, especially in women, necessitates a shift from a "cholesterol-centric" view to a holistic, hormone-optimizing strategy. While statins remain an option for secondary prevention, particularly in specific indications, it's crucial to acknowledge their limitations and potential collateral damage. The profound protective effects of optimized hormones, often able to reverse the very pathology statins struggle to address, present a compelling and evidence-based alternative or complementary strategy that is unfortunately underutilized and often misunderstood within conventional medicine.
Ultimately, empowering patients with this knowledge allows for true shared decision-making, where the full spectrum of benefits and risks from all available therapies, including hormone optimization, can be thoroughly considered.
The role of DHEA in Mental Health
I doubt anyone would disagree that you must first repair the foundation before you can expect the house to be stable. When it comes to our mental and physical health, our neuroendocrine system is that very foundation.
Prescribing an antidepressant for depression without evaluating for and treating hormonal deficiencies is akin to giving pain medication for a nail in the foot without removing the nail. You are masking the symptom without addressing the root physiological dysfunction.
By optimizing the foundational hormonal milieu first, you give the body the necessary tools to regulate itself. If depressive symptoms persist after hormonal optimization, then and only then should an antidepressant be considered as an adjunctive therapy. We must treat the patient, not just the symptom.
Hormones, Metabolism, and Refractory Depression: What is the connection?
What is the connection between hormones, metabolism, and treatment-resistant depression? Let's expose the elephant in the room that conventional psychiatry often overlooks.
What Zulresso & Postpartum Depression Can Teach Us About Conventional Medicine
How has conventional medicine become so good at ignoring the elephant in the room?
Response to the FDA's August 2025 statement on Desiccated Thyroid
The FDA posted a statement last week warning about the use of desiccated thyroid (DTE), making unsubstantiated claims about DTE and stating they have “concerns with the safety and effectiveness of the unapproved animal-derived thyroid medications”. I find the discussion surrounding desiccated thyroid both perpetually fascinating and, at times, profoundly frustrating due to persistent misconceptions. The evidence surrounding the use of desiccated thyroid is quite clear and this recent statement made by the FDA provides very strong evidence, in my opinion at least, that the FDA does not base its guidelines on evidence-based research.