Testosterone in Women: FSH, Hair Loss & Real Questions Answered
Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
In this episode, I’ll be responding to your questions and comments. As always, thank you for being part of this community. Your questions fuel these episodes — and I’m honored to keep showing up for you. 🧪 Have questions about your labs? Drop them in the comments — I may cover them in the next episode. 💬 Yes, I do read them (even in movie previews).
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com
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What We’re Learning About TRT and Breast Cancer Risk
Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
In this episode, he dives deep into the powerful potential, and the necessary precautions, of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in women. He shares why this once-taboo treatment is gaining traction, how it may reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 50%, and why lab testing and clinical nuance are absolutely non-negotiable. Dr. McCarthy also addresses medical betrayal, the rise of influencer-driven misinformation, and what it means to receive care rooted in science, safety, and trust. If you've ever been confused, dismissed, or overwhelmed by hormone therapy conversations, this one’s for you.
🧬 Topics covered:
TRT’s anti-proliferative effects on breast tissue
The importance of lab work and metabolite monitoring DHT, estradiol, and aromatization explained
The ethical issues around "lab-free" prescribing
Why nuance matters more than ever in women’s hormone care
Citation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11EPfPIotgAeCTr69wHGvErBNafGUipF5/view?usp=sharing
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com
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Why I Always Run Labs Before Hormone Therapy: The Real Risks of Skipping FSH
Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
In this deeply personal episode, he shares why lab work—especially testing FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)—is non-negotiable in hormone replacement therapy.
This is not about gatekeeping. It’s about understanding. It’s about caring. Dr. McCarthy recounts a formative memory of meeting a woman who underwent surgical menopause and was never told what would happen to her body afterward. That moment shaped his lifelong mission to treat women with comprehensive, individualized care—not cookie-cutter patches or “blind firing” estrogen without context.
In this episode, he explains:
🧬 Why FSH matters just as much as estrogen
🧠 How FSH affects metabolism, bone density, fat storage, and even Alzheimer’s risk
🩺 What truly responsible hormone therapy should look like
💬 And how we must challenge trends in medicine that ignore the full picture
Citations: Mao L, Wang L, Bennett S, Xu J, Zou J. Effects of follicle-stimulating hormone on fat metabolism and cognitive impairment in women during menopause. Front Physiol. 2022 Dec 5;13:1043237. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1043237. PMID: 36545281; PMCID: PMC9760686.
Spicer J, Malaspina D, Blank SV, Goosens KA. Follicle-stimulating hormone: More than a marker for menopause: FSH as a frontier for women's mental health. Psychiatry Res. 2025 Mar;345:116239. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116239. Epub 2024 Oct 28. PMID: 39892305; PMCID: PMC12094525.
Sponton CH, Kajimura S. Burning Fat and Building Bone by FSH Blockade. Cell Metab. 2017 Aug 1;26(2):285-287. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.07.018. PMID: 28768167; PMCID: PMC9142816
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy is the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com
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Why Perimenopausal Hormone Labs Do Matter — Debunking Dangerous Myths
Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
In this video, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down common misconceptions about hormone testing and treatment during perimenopause — including why many influencers and physicians get it wrong. From the misuse of expensive boutique tests like the Dutch test, to the dangers of suppressive hormone therapies without proper lab monitoring, Dr. McCarthy explains the science behind hormone fluctuations, why labs do provide valuable insights, and the importance of individualized care.
Learn why ignoring hormone labs isn’t just lazy — it’s harmful — and how true, affordable care should prioritize your unique hormonal balance, not profits. If you’re navigating perimenopause, this video offers critical clarity on your options and what you truly deserve from your healthcare provider.
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com
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Should You Get HRT Without Lab Work? Why I Always Test First
Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
Can you start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or bioidentical hormones without lab testing? Technically—yes. But should you? In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center, shares his medical perspective on why skipping labs could put your health at risk.
Responding to viral videos that suggest lab work is unnecessary, Dr. McCarthy walks you through:
✅ Why objective data matters—especially for hormone care
✅ The dangers of prescribing hormones without testing
✅ How HRT can be safely and affordably customized
✅ Real-life clinical scenarios that show the power of lab-guided treatment
Whether you're navigating perimenopause, menopause, or curious about functional medicine, this episode aims to inform—not attack—and to elevate the standard of care all patients deserve.
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
Citations:
- O'Connell, Mary Beth. "Pharmacokinetic and pharmacologic variation between different estrogen products." The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 35.9S (1995): 18S-24S..
- Qureshi, Rehana, et al. "The major pre-and postmenopausal estrogens play opposing roles in obesity-driven mammary inflammation and breast cancer development." Cell metabolism 31.6 (2020): 1154-1172..
- Bagot CN, Marsh MS, Whitehead M, Sherwood R, Roberts L, Patel RK, Arya R. The effect of estrone on thrombin generation may explain the different thrombotic risk between oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy. J Thromb Haemost. 2010 Aug;8(8):1736-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2010.03953.x. Epub 2010 Jun 14. PMID:
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com
Welcome! Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. Through successful case after successful case, Dr. McCarthy has been dedicated to hormone balance, healthy metabolism, and the best quality of life. Dr. McCarthy’s hallmark is his unorthodox approach to mental/emotional wellness and its link to hormone balance in women and men. Through the use of blood work and clinical investigation, Dr. McCarthy gets to the bottom of possible causes for common conditions such as anxiety, PMS, depression, slow metabolism, weight gain, insomnia and now wants to share his knowledge to the viewers with his podcast.
Join the discussion, ask questions, and welcome to the podcast!
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