Female Hormone Health, PCOS, Endometriosis, Fertility & Breast Cancer | Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi

In this comprehensive episode of the Huberman Lab, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, a leading authority on women’s health, joins Dr. Andrew Huberman to shed light on the widespread underdiagnosis and systemic neglect of PCOS and endometriosis—two major contributors to infertility and chronic health issues affecting millions of women. Dr. Aliabadi reveals that up to 90% of cases go undiagnosed, often because symptoms like irregular periods, pelvic pain, acne, hair loss, and mood disturbances are dismissed as normal or psychological. She emphasizes that these conditions are not merely reproductive but involve deep metabolic dysfunction, including insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and disrupted hormonal signaling across the brain-pituitary-ovary axis. The conversation underscores the urgent need for early screening in teens and young adults using tools like AMH testing and pelvic ultrasounds, and promotes a holistic treatment approach combining lifestyle changes, supplements like inositol and vitamin D, metformin, and emerging therapies like GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have shown remarkable success in restoring ovulation and improving symptoms—even in non-overweight patients. Dr. Aliabadi also highlights the emotional toll of medical dismissal, advocating for patients to become their own health advocates and use free tools like the Ovi quiz to validate their concerns. She further discusses the critical importance of assessing lifetime breast cancer risk using the Tyrer-Cuzick calculator, especially for women with dense breast tissue or family history, and recommends early imaging starting at age 30 for those at high risk. The episode closes with a heartfelt exchange celebrating Dr. Aliabadi’s mission—driven by her experience raising four daughters—to transform women’s healthcare through education, empowerment, and systemic change, including the separation of obstetrics from gynecology to allow for deeper, more specialized care.