June FMP Essentials Mastermind Member Newsletter

In This Edition:

• What’s New at FMP Essentials: Stay updated on upcoming courses, practitioner meet-ups, exciting announcements, and new educational content.
• Rethinking HDL: Explore why extremely high HDL-C levels may raise cardiovascular risk—and how advanced testing and functional medicine insights can offer better clarity.
• Private Mastermind Podcast Spotlight: Don’t miss Dr. Elyaman's insightful conversation with Dr. Dawn Beaulieu on bridging functional and conventional medicine in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

• Blog Feature: This month’s blog explores why chronic kidney disease is so often missed—and how functional medicine practitioners can detect it earlier and slow its progression using root-cause strategies and underutilized testing.

• New Webinar: Decoding Dementia Part 2—Dr. Elyaman walks through cases and shares practical tools for early cognitive decline detection, now in the Mastermind.

Stay informed, engaged, and ahead of the curve with this month’s updates!

What's New At FMP Essentials?

• IFM Annual International Conference: We just returned from an inspiring weekend at the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Annual International Conference in San Diego! It was an incredible gathering of practitioners from around the globe—filled with powerful talks, brilliant speakers, and meaningful connections. We especially loved reconnecting with friends, colleagues, and so many members of our FMP Essentials community. Here are some of our highlights: 

Dr. Elyaman speaking on brain health at the CFIP event

Dr. Elyaman facilitating a discussion on CKD at the clinical roundtables

Fun lunch with colleagues hosted by FMP Essentials

• Advanced Lipid Masterclass: We launched a masterclass on advanced lipids this past month—and it's now available on-demand! This 6-module course is packed with clinical insights to help you master lipidology through a functional medicine lens. As a special post-IFM AIC offer, you can enroll for just $299 (regularly $499). Plus, don’t miss the live session on personalizing treatment happening Monday, June 23rd. Haven’t signed up yet? Click here to join now and get full access!

• Public Podcast: Our podcast episode with Dr. Tom Sult on the functional medicine approach to chronic Lyme disease—previously released early to our Mastermind community—is now publicly available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. If you missed it the first time, now’s your chance to tune in. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more expert insights. Click here to watch now!

• ICIM Conference: We’re getting excited for the Cracking the Code on Chronic Kidney Disease conference this August in Atlanta hosted by the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM)! Dr. Elyaman will be speaking on Hyperuricemia & Insulin Resistance as Drivers of CKD, and we’ll be there with an FMP Essentials booth—come say hello! Register by June 27 for the early-bird rate.

• Mastermind: We continue to work on our Silver and Gold memberships which are set to launch in the fall, offering advanced clinical content and leadership development tools. Click here to join the waitlist!

When "Good" Cholesterol Goes Too High: Rethinking Very High HDL

HDL is often hailed as the "good" cholesterol, but emerging research reveals a U-shaped curve in its relationship with health outcomes—where very high levels may be associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. In large population studies, mortality risk rose in men with HDL >97 mg/dL and in women with HDL >135 mg/dL. The lowest mortality risk was observed at HDL-C levels of approximately 73 mg/dL for men and 93 mg/dL for women

When High HDL May Signal Trouble

Extremely high HDL may reflect more than just healthy habits. Several conditions and mechanisms can undermine HDL’s protective role:

• Dysfunctional HDL particles: In states of oxidative stress or chronic inflammation, HDL can become pro-inflammatory and lose its ability to remove cholesterol from arterial walls—a process known as cholesterol efflux.

• Genetic disorders: Conditions like CETP deficiency and variants such as Apo A-I Milano can elevate HDL-C levels without conferring cardiovascular protection.

• Chronic alcohol use: While alcohol can raise HDL, excessive intake increases all-cause mortality and may indicate other metabolic risks.

• Hormonal imbalances: Elevated HDL may occur with high estrogen states, thyroid dysfunction, or adrenal disorders, which can affect lipid metabolism.

• Impaired HDL clearance or reverse cholesterol transport: This may reflect deeper hepatic or metabolic dysfunction.

• Chronic inflammatory diseases: Autoimmune and systemic inflammatory conditions can alter HDL structure and function.

In contrast, HDL elevations from regular physical activity or physiologic levels of estradiol (e.g., during the menstrual cycle) are generally associated with cardiovascular benefit and do not carry the same mortality risk.

The Functional Medicine Lens: Context Is Key

High HDL-C should not be assumed to be protective without context. Consider these steps:

• Evaluate underlying drivers: Rule out alcohol misuse, metabolic syndrome, thyroid dysfunction, or systemic inflammation.

• Consider advanced lipid testing: HDL particle size and number and Apo A-I, may provide deeper insight than HDL-C alone. While not yet widely available, cholesterol efflux capacity is an emerging test that offers the most direct measure of HDL functionality and cardiovascular protection. 

• Support hepatic and biliary function: While emerging, there is speculation that impaired bile flow or liver dysfunction may disrupt HDL recycling pathways.

• Avoid over-reliance on HDL-C alone: Focus on overall lipid context, inflammation markers, and metabolic health.

As our understanding of HDL biology deepens, it becomes clear that HDL function—not just quantity—is critical. Context, origin, and associated health factors determine whether high HDL is a friend, a bystander, or potentially a foe.

🎓 Want to Learn More?

Our new Advanced Lipid Masterclass is now available on-demand! This 6-module course dives deep into lipidology from a functional medicine perspective—covering advanced biomarkers, particle testing, therapeutic targets, and clinical strategies.

👉 Click here to enroll and get instant access—plus join our upcoming live session on June 23rd!

References:

1. Singh K, Rohatgi A. Examining the paradox of high high-density lipoprotein and elevated cardiovascular risk. J Thorac Dis. 2018 Jan;10(1):109-112. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2017.12.97. PMID: 29600034; PMCID: PMC5863140.
2. Liu C, Dhindsa D, Almuwaqqat Z, Ko YA, Mehta A, Alkhoder AA, Alras Z, Desai SR, Patel KJ, Hooda A, Wehbe M, Sperling LS, Sun YV, Quyyumi AA. Association Between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-risk Populations. JAMA Cardiol. 2022 Jul 1;7(7):672-680. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2022.0912. PMID: 35583863; PMCID: PMC9118072.

Check Out This Month's Podcast Episode

🎧 New Podcast Episode: Integrative IBD Care: Merging Conventional and Functional Approaches to Ulcerative Colitis

Dr. Yousef Elyaman sits down with Dr. Dawn Beaulieu—gastroenterologist and IBD specialist—for an in-depth conversation on bridging conventional and functional medicine in the care of ulcerative colitis.

Here’s a glimpse of what they cover:

• The IBD Misconception – Why inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis, is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed in conventional settings.
• The Functional-Clinical Interface – How Dr. Beaulieu integrates dietary, microbiome, and lifestyle interventions.
• Beyond Medication – The role of curcumin, low dose naltrexone (LDN), elimination diets, and the 5R framework in reducing flares and optimizing remission.
• Red Flags & Triggers – Key signs providers should not ignore, and the deeper triggers behind UC—from antibiotics and NSAIDs to infectious triggers and chronic stress.
• The Future of GI Care – Why Dr. Beaulieu believes true progress lies in merging functional medicine with academic models—and how she’s doing it within a major medical institution.

This episode is a must-listen for any clinician navigating gut inflammation, autoimmunity, or integrative GI care.

How to watch/listen: Log into your account, select the Bronze Mastermind, and scroll down to the "Expert Interviews, Insights & Podcasts" section to find the episode.

Check Out This Month's Blog Post

How to Stop Missing Chronic Kidney Disease: A Root-Cause Approach to Early Detection 

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 adults—but most don’t know they have it until it’s too late. In this month’s blog, Dr. Elyaman explores why CKD is often missed in early stages and how a root-cause, functional medicine approach can dramatically change its trajectory. Learn which underused biomarkers reveal kidney dysfunction earlier, how to interpret “borderline” results, and which interventions support renal health before irreversible damage sets in. A must-read for practitioners ready to shift from reactive to proactive kidney care.

Click here to view the article!

New Webinar Added to the Mastermind!

Help Us Grow Our Community!

Know a colleague who would benefit from being part of this Mastermind? Feel free to invite them to join us! 

Thank you for being part of our community!

-The FMP Essentials Team