Hormone Replacement Therapy in Los Gatos
Hormonal changes are a natural part of aging, but understanding your symptoms is the first step. At Lifetime Performance Medicine, hormone therapy begins with comprehensive testing, personalized evaluation, and ongoing monitoring to create a safe, effective plan for men and women across Silicon Valley.
Why Comprehensive Testing Comes First
We do not treat hormones based on symptoms alone, and we do not start therapy without a clear picture of your levels. Comprehensive testing is the foundation of responsible hormone care.
For men and women, our workup typically includes total testosterone and free testosterone, estradiol, SHBG, thyroid markers, and metabolic markers, along with the additional labs your history calls for. These results show us not just whether a hormone is low, but how your hormones relate to one another and to your broader health.
This testing does not sit in isolation. Hormone assessment is part of our wider approach at Lifetime Performance Medicine, which includes an 80+ biomarker panel, DEXA body composition scanning, VO2 max testing, functional testing, and biological age estimated through PhenoAge, all summarized in the Lifetime Body Score. Seeing your hormones in that full context helps us decide whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you and, if it is, how to approach it.
Testing first also protects you. It establishes a baseline we can measure against, it helps us avoid treating a problem that is not there, and it gives us the information we need to dose carefully.
Signs Your Hormones May Be Changing
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In Men
Men may notice lower energy, reduced strength or muscle mass, more body fat around the middle, lower libido, changes in mood or motivation, difficulty concentrating, and less restful sleep. Testosterone tends to decline slowly with age, and these changes can develop so gradually that they feel like the new normal.
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In Women
Women may experience hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, mood changes, low libido, vaginal dryness, brain fog, and shifts in body composition. These often appear during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels change. Every woman's pattern is different, which is why a personal assessment matters more than a generic checklist.
For both men and women, symptoms alone do not confirm a hormonal cause. They tell us where to look. Testing tells us what is actually happening.
Bioidentical Pellet Therapy and Why Steady-State Delivery Matters
We never start hormone therapy based on symptoms alone. Comprehensive testing gives us a clear picture of your hormone levels and overall health before treatment begins.
Your assessment typically includes testosterone, estradiol, SHBG, thyroid, and metabolic markers, plus any additional tests your history requires. Rather than looking at one hormone in isolation, we evaluate how your hormones work together and how they relate to your broader health.
This assessment is part of our comprehensive evaluation, which also includes an 80+ biomarker panel, DEXA body composition scanning, VO₂ max testing, functional testing, and biological age analysis through PhenoAge, all integrated into your Lifetime Body Score.
Testing first establishes a baseline, helps prevent unnecessary treatment, and allows us to prescribe hormone therapy safely and precisely when it is appropriate.
Safety, Monitoring, and Honest Expectations
Hormone therapy is a medical treatment, and we treat it that way. After therapy begins, we monitor your response with follow-up testing and check-ins, and we adjust based on both your labs and how you feel. Monitoring lets us keep your levels in a sensible range, watch relevant markers over time, and respond if anything needs attention.
We are honest about what hormone therapy can and cannot do. Many patients report improvements in energy, body composition, libido, sleep, and mood when their hormones are optimized appropriately, but responses vary from person to person, and results are not guaranteed. Hormone therapy carries risks and is not suitable for everyone. We will tell you plainly if we do not think it is right for you, and we will explain the trade-offs so you can make an informed decision.
Care at Lifetime Performance Medicine is physician-led. Dr. Richard Nguyen, DO, is a board-certified general and bariatric surgeon with a Vanderbilt fellowship and more than 20 years of experience, and the longevity division operates as part of Lifetime Surgical. Within our membership model, you see Dr. Nguyen twice a year, with your other visits led by Morgan Carmean, ARNP, who directs the wellness clinic.
Membership or A La Carte
Hormone optimization can be part of a membership, combining hormone care with your Lifetime Body Score and a physician-built 12-month health plan. Foundations starts at $4,500/year, with Optimization and Executive tiers tailored to your needs.
Prefer a focused approach? Access specific hormone testing and services without a membership. We help you choose the path that best matches your health goals.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first visit starts with a conversation, not a prescription. We review your symptoms, history, and goals, then order comprehensive hormone and metabolic testing so we are working from your actual levels. Once results are back, a clinician sits down with you to explain what they show, whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you, and what a plan would look like. If pellet therapy is the right fit, the insertion is a brief in-office procedure. If it is not the right fit, we tell you honestly and focus on what will help. Follow-up testing confirms your levels are where they should be and guides any adjustments over time.
Answers To Your Most Asked Questions
Bioidentical hormones are structurally identical to the hormones your body produces. We use bioidentical hormone pellet therapy for both men and women who are appropriate candidates.
Symptoms point us in a direction, but they do not confirm a hormonal cause on their own. Testing shows your actual levels, establishes a baseline, and lets us dose carefully and monitor over time. We test first as a matter of safe, responsible care.
A small pellet is placed under the skin in a brief in-office procedure. It releases hormone gradually over a period of months, which supports steadier levels compared with methods that can cause peaks and troughs between doses.
Hormone therapy is a medical treatment with real benefits for the right patients and real risks that must be weighed. We assess your candidacy carefully, monitor you with follow-up testing, and are honest if it is not appropriate for you.
Yes. We offer hormone testing and, where appropriate, bioidentical pellet therapy for both men and women. Our testing and plans are tailored to each person.
No. Hormone testing and services are available a la carte, and they can also be part of a membership that includes a full assessment and a 12-month plan.