"Functional Testing Considerations for the Peri-menopausal Female"

Presenter: Lylen Ferris, ND
Original Date: April 5 2025 

Peri-menopause is a time of great transition, and can begin as early as the mid 30s. Patients can begin to struggle with health in ways they have not before, with the appearance of symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, cognitive concerns, weight gain, insomnia, deep fatigue, lack of libido, and mood concerns. Successful patient outcomes are built from a blueprint of accurate intake and reliable laboratory assessment; these tools position the practitioner to offer patients sustained wellness. Although simple lifestyle interventions and basic hormone balancing may prove effective in a majority of cases, many patients will present with symptoms and underlying conditions that involve multiple layers of physiologic dysregulation and these cases can be more complex and challenging.  Add to this the idea of optimizing disease prevention, and peri-menopausal patients can be among the most complex. Attendees will benefit from case review of peri-menopausal patients and obtain advanced testing and management strategies, including GI microbiome assessment, HPA Axis assessment (including melatonin, cortisol, CAR, and neurotransmitter testing), salivary and urine sex hormone testing, lifestyle plans, past trauma discussion, and more.

Bio: Lylen Ferris, ND attended Davidson College in North Carolina where she obtained a BA in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in art history. After travelling extensively and witnessing different cultures and ways of thinking, Dr. Ferris realized naturopathic medicine was her calling. She completed her pre-medical training in Australia and returned to the United States to attend medical school at the National College of Natural Medicine (now NUNM) in Portland, Oregon, where she trained as a general practitioner and tailored her studies to focus on women’s health. Her love of teaching began during her advanced women’s health residency, where she taught clinical education and gynecology classes while mentoring students. Dr. Ferris has continued to teach other medical professionals in the US and around the globe at numerous functional medicine conferences, online webinars, and seminars. Dr. Ferris offers a deep knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching hormone and neurotransmitter biochemistry, including research, testing, and optimization. Dr. Ferris is Director of Clinical Education at Doctor’s Data, where she leads a team of physicians focusing on educating practitioners worldwide on hormone and neurotransmitter testing and optimization. She also maintains a clinical practice in Portland, Oregon and her focus has grown to include males and females of all ages.

NUNM is accredited by the North American Naturopathic Continuing Education Council (NANCEAC). This activity qualifies for 1.5 General (1.5 CEUs Total).