Advancing Hormone Assessment in Perimenopause and Menopause: Moving Beyond Symptoms to Longitudinal Monitoring
In this opening session of a three-part clinician series, Dr. Michelle Leary examines what serum, urine, and saliva each actually measure — and why choosing the wrong sample means asking a question the test cannot answer. Using a widely cited population study on ovulation prevalence as a worked example, she shows how a single, indirectly timed progesterone value can misclassify a cycle, and what repeated measurement of E3G, LH, PdG, and FSH adds that one draw cannot: timing, trajectory, and cycle-to-cycle variability. The session covers where current guidelines stand on hormone testing in perimenopause, why STRAW+10 staging breaks down when bleeding is no longer a reliable marker, and why variability — not the average — is the signal in the transition. A patient’s two consecutive cycles, mapped daily, illustrate the difference: ovulation shifting from day 16 to day 22, a preserved estrogen surge, and a blunted luteal response that a fixed day-21 draw would have missed entirely. Throughout, the emphasis is on honest limits — where the evidence is strong, where it remains early, and what no hormone test can do. Symptoms still make the diagnosis. Monitoring explains the mechanism underneath.
In Part 1, Dr. Carrie Jones (ND, FABNE, MPH, MSCP) examines the limitations of conventional assessment strategies and introduces a framework for incorporating serial hormone data into clinical practice. Emphasis will be placed on the clinical utility of tracking hormone patterns over time, including the emerging role of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as a potential independent risk marker beyond estradiol. The session will also address how longitudinal monitoring can support evaluation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) effectiveness and inform treatment adjustments.
In Part 2, Dr. Tara Scott (MD, FACOG, IFMCP, NCMP) applies these principles through a case-based approach, demonstrating how longitudinal hormone data—including E3G, LH, PdG, and FSH—can enhance diagnostic clarity and guide individualized care in perimenopausal patients.
Across both sessions, faculty will discuss the integration of real-time hormone monitoring with traditional and specialty testing to support more precise, patient-centered care during the menopause transition.
Dr. Michelle Leary will bring her clinical expertise to set the stage for the program and moderate the panel discussion.
Speakers
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Carrie Jones, ND, FABNE, MPHCarrie Jones, ND, FABNE, MPH is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant, and educator on the topic of women’s health and hormones with over 20 years in the industry. Dr. Jones graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon where she also completed a 2-year residency in women’s health, hormones, and endocrinology. She went on to get her Master of Public Health and was one of the first to became board certified through the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology for which she served on for several years. She was the first Medical Director for Precision Analytical, creators of the DUTCH Test and the first Head of Medical Education at Rupa Health and host of the Root Cause Medicine Podcast. She serves as the Clinical Expert for the Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center is on Under Armour’s Human Performance Council. Currently she is the Chief Medical Officer at NuEthix and Head of Medical Education at Metabolic Mentor University.
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Michelle Leary, ND, IFMCPDr. Michelle Leary, ND, IFMCP is a recognized leader in functional and personalized lifestyle medicine, serving as Director of Functional Medicine at Vida Integrated Health, where she oversees a regional network of physicians and nutrition professionals. She established and has directed a collaborative residency program with the Institute for Functional Medicine for over five years, cultivating the next generation of physician leaders. A clinical investigator on the LIFE-HOUSE trial, she has also contributed to peer-reviewed research and lectures internationally on systems medicine and precision health. Beyond her clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Leary advises on the strategic adoption of AI technologies in integrative medicine, helping physicians implement innovative tools to enhance decision-making and patient care.
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Tara Scott, MD, FACOG, IFMCP, NCMPDr. Tara Scott graduated from Northeast Ohio University College of Medicine and completed her residency with Summa Health Systems at Akron City Hospital in Ohio. She recently “retired” from OB/GYN after almost 20 years to focus on functional and integrative medicine. She is an Associate Clinical Professor at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Dr. Scott is a certified menopause practitioner with the North American Menopause Society and a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She first became involved with hormone and integrative medicine while practicing as an OB/GYN. Her empathy for patients experiencing hormone-related issues led her to become trained as an advanced fellow and certified by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. In 2015, she obtained an additional board certification in Integrative Medicine. She has been consulting with other companies in the industry since 2020, offering her knowledge in the hormone/ wellness/ menopause space to help enhance their business and is the Women’s Health Course lead in developing an Integrative Medicine Fellowship in conjunction with University of California, Irvine for the Sameuli Integrative Integrative Health Institute.
Dr. Scott is passionate about educating the medical community on the advances in evidence-based hormone therapy. She lectures around the community to raise awareness about wellness and hormone balance. Dr. Scott has been speaking and educating for over 10 years and has taught doctors her approach in 5 continents. For her expertise, she has been featured on The List TV, Women’s Health, Shape, The List, Newsweek, Parents, Authority Magazine, a recent TEDx talk, and on numerous podcasts.
