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Now That Vitamin D is Front Page News: How to Use Hormone D Safely and Effectively in Your Practice

Environmental Influences

Presented by: Stasha Gominak, MD

Original Presentation Date: September 24, 2021

Take the Course This course is available for CE Credit as a "Members Only" benefit. Not a Member? CLICK HERE to learn more about AAOSH Membership.

Course Description:

This course delves into the complexities surrounding the usage of vitamin D in medical practice. Amidst conflicting expert recommendations and a landscape riddled with misinformation in scientific literature, understanding the safe and effective administration of this crucial hormone becomes paramount. Participants will learn to navigate the discrepancies between basic science reports and often inconclusive clinical trials, developing critical reading skills to decipher and utilize literature effectively. The course emphasizes recognizing appropriate vitamin D blood levels, exploring the concept of "bio-identical hormone" in the context of past pharmaceutical errors, and evaluating the limitations of fixed-dose, prospective clinical trials for Hormone D.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and differentiate the correct type of vitamin D blood level to be ordered for various patient scenarios.
  • Explain the emergence and prevalence of the term "bio-identical hormone" in contemporary usage, drawing parallels to past pharmaceutical errors.
  • Articulate the necessity of applying the "bio-identical" concept to Hormone D usage.
  • Apply critical reading skills to acknowledge and appraise the limitations inherent in fixed-dose, prospective Hormone D clinical trials.
  • Evaluate and synthesize information from the scientific literature to comprehend the discordance between basic science reports and clinical trial outcomes concerning the effectiveness of vitamin D.
  • Formulate strategies to navigate these discrepancies to achieve better patient outcomes.

Speaker Bios:

Stasha Gominak, an experienced neurologist, graduated with an MD from Baylor College of Medicine in 1983 before completing her Neurology residency at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital in 1989. During her tenure as a general neurologist in the San Francisco Bay area from 1991 to 2004, she developed a keen interest in sleep-related neurological conditions. Dr. Gominak's influential research, starting with her groundbreaking 2012 article connecting global sleep issues to reduced sun exposure, continued with a 2016 article linking poor sleep to changes in the gut microbiome. Introducing RightSleep®, an approach to improve sleep patterns and gut health, she retired from clinical practice in 2016 to focus on teaching. She currently dedicates her time to coaching individuals virtually and educating clinicians and coaches on implementing RightSleep concepts for better patient health and well-being.