Women’s libido is one of the most misunderstood topics in medicine.

For decades, low libido in women has been oversimplified into a hormone problem, a menopause problem, or something women are just expected to tolerate in silence.

But women’s sexual desire is far more complex than that.

In this episode of Endocrine Matters, Dr. Arti Thangudu sits down with Dr. Anu Sidhu, a family medicine and Lifestyle Medicine physician, to talk about the real causes of low libido in women, what actually affects female sexual desire across the lifespan, and why a woman’s libido should never be reduced to a single hormone level or a one-size-fits-all prescription.

This episode explores:
 🧠 Why women’s libido is different from men’s libido
 💊 How hormones, stress, sleep, medications, relationships, and mental health all affect sexual desire
 ⚠️ Why low libido is often misunderstood in medical care
 📚 The role of Bibliotherapy and erotic reading as an evidence-based treatment option
 💉 When Testosterone may help — and when it may not
 🩺 Which medications commonly lower libido, including antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and oral contraceptives
 🤝 Why women deserve whole-person, nuanced care for sexual health

Dr. Thangudu and Dr. Sidhu also discuss how shame, embarrassment, and lack of education keep women from talking about libido concerns — even though millions of women experience low sexual desire at different stages of life.

This is a conversation about women’s sexual health, women’s libido, low libido treatment, hormones, relationships, body image, medication side effects, and why libido should be approached as a whole-body, whole-life issue.

If you’ve ever wondered:
 Why is my libido low?
 Can stress cause low libido?
 Does Testosterone help women’s libido?
 Do antidepressants affect libido?
 What causes low libido in perimenopause or menopause?
 Can low libido be treated without medication?

This episode is for you.

Women deserve better conversations about sexual health.

And they deserve clinicians who understand that libido is not just about hormones — it is about biology, psychology, relationships, safety, stress, and context.

About The Host

Dr. Arti Thangudu is a board-certified Endocrinologist specializing in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, with additional certification in Lifestyle Medicine and menopause care. She focuses on evidence-based care, metabolic health, hormone health, and improving transparency in healthcare.

About The Guest

Dr. Anu Sidhu is a Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine physician with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. She is the founder of Spring Monarch Primary Care, a direct primary care practice in Houston, Texas, and she is passionate about helping women become agents of their own health.

Learn more about Dr. Sidhu here:
 Spring Monarch Primary Care →https://www.springmonarchmd.com/

Follow Dr. Sidhu:
 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/anu.sidhu.md
 TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@anu.sidhu.md

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• What really causes low libido in women
 • Why women’s libido is highly responsive and multifactorial
 • How stress, sleep, body image, and relationships shape desire
 • Which medications commonly lower libido
 • The role of Testosterone in women’s sexual health
 • Why Bibliotherapy may help improve libido
 • How physicians can approach women’s sexual health more effectively

Learn More / Connect

✨ See Dr. Thangudu in clinic:
 Complete Medicine →https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Stay connected:
 Sign up for the newsletter → https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

📲 Follow Dr. Arti Thangudu
 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drartithangudu

About Endocrine Matters

Endocrine Matters is a podcast dedicated to hormone health, metabolic health, thyroid disease, menopause, obesity medicine, and evidence-based healthcare education.

Each episode breaks down complex medical topics so patients can make informed, empowered decisions about their health.

Women are not being dismissed in healthcare by accident — it is structural.

One of the most universal transitions in a woman’s life, menopause, remains one of the most under-taught topics in medical training.

And the consequences are showing up in exam rooms every single day.

In this episode of Endocrine Matters, Dr. Arti Thangudu breaks down a critical and often unspoken gap in medicine: the lack of menopause education, the legacy of outdated research, and how medical training environments shape the way physicians care for women.

This episode explores:
🧠 Why only a small percentage of physicians feel prepared to manage menopause
📉 The long-term impact of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) on hormone therapy and medical education
⚠️ How gaps in training contribute to dismissed symptoms and misdiagnoses in women
📚 Why women’s health is still underrepresented in medical curricula
🤝 The shift from paternalistic medicine to collaborative, patient-centered care
🌐 How social media and online health information are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship
🤖 The role of AI in medicine — and what it still cannot replace

Dr. Thangudu also discusses how medical culture, training environments, and systemic healthcare structures contribute to the experience many women have of not being heard.

This is not about blaming individual physicians.

It is about understanding the system — and building something better.

You will walk away with a clearer understanding of why menopause care often feels fragmented, why your symptoms may have been dismissed, and what true collaborative, evidence-based care should look like.

Your health is not the problem.
 The system was never designed with you at the center.

About the Host

Dr. Arti Thangudu is a board-certified endocrinologist specializing in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, with additional certification in Lifestyle Medicine and menopause care. She focuses on evidence-based care, metabolic health, hormone health, and improving transparency in healthcare.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why menopause education is lacking in medical training
 • How the Women’s Health Initiative shaped modern menopause care
 • Why many women feel dismissed in healthcare settings
 • The difference between paternalistic and collaborative medicine
 • How to advocate for yourself in a system not designed for you
 • What good menopause care should actually look like

Learn More / Connect

✨ See Dr. Thangudu in clinic:
 Complete Medicine →https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Stay connected:
 Sign up for the newsletter → https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

📲 Follow Dr. Arti Thangudu
 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drartithangudu

About Endocrine Matters

Endocrine Matters is a podcast dedicated to hormone health, menopause, metabolic health, thyroid disease, obesity medicine, and evidence-based healthcare education.

Each episode breaks down complex medical topics so patients can make informed, empowered decisions about their health.

Despite decades of research and real-world evidence, Metformin is constantly criticized online by influencers, wellness personalities, and people who do not understand insulin resistance, metabolism, or diabetes care.

Yet Metformin remains one of the most effective, safest, and most accessible medications in Endocrinology.

In this episode of Endocrine Matters, Dr. Arti Thangudu explains why Metformin still plays a central role in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, Prediabetes, Insulin Resistance, and PCOS, and why misinformation about this medication continues to spread online.

Dr. Thangudu also discusses an issue that often gets ignored in social media health conversations: affordability.

Diabetes medications can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per month. For many patients, access to treatment is determined not just by science, but by cost, insurance barriers, and real-life financial decisions.

Metformin, which can cost about $10 for 90 days even without insurance, remains one of the most accessible evidence-based tools physicians have to improve metabolic health and prevent long-term complications.

This episode explores:

🧠 Why Metformin has developed a negative reputation online
 📚 What the research actually shows about Metformin safety and effectiveness
 ⚠️ Common fears about Metformin and kidney function, lactic acidosis, and side effects
 📉 How Metformin lowers A1C and improves insulin sensitivity
 👩‍⚕️ The role of Metformin in Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, PCOS, fertility, and pregnancy
 💰 Why affordability and accessibility matter in diabetes treatment
 📊 What the Diabetes Prevention Program revealed about long-term diabetes prevention

Dr. Thangudu also addresses how misinformation spreads when confident voices online oversimplify complex metabolic science, and why evidence-based medicine still supports Metformin as a foundational therapy in many patients.

Metformin may not be trendy.
 It may not be expensive.
 But it continues to change lives.

And in a healthcare system where access to treatment is often limited by cost, that matters enormously.

About The Host

Dr. Arti Thangudu is a board-certified Endocrinologist specializing in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, with additional certification in Lifestyle Medicine and menopause care. She focuses on evidence-based care, metabolic health, hormone health, and improving transparency in healthcare.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why Metformin is still widely used by Endocrinologists
 • How Metformin works to improve insulin resistance
 • The truth about Metformin side effects and safety concerns
 • How Metformin helps patients with Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
 • The role of Metformin in PCOS, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes
 • Why affordability and access matter in modern diabetes care

Resources Mentioned

Key research discussed includes the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), one of the largest and longest studies on diabetes prevention and Metformin therapy.

Learn More / Connect

✨ See Dr. Thangudu in clinic:
 Complete Medicine →https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Stay connected:
 Sign up for the newsletter → https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

📲 Follow Dr. Arti Thangudu
 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drartithangudu

About Endocrine Matters

Endocrine Matters is a podcast dedicated to hormone health, metabolic health, thyroid disease, menopause, obesity medicine, and evidence-based healthcare education.

Each episode breaks down complex medical topics so patients can make informed, empowered decisions about their health.

We are living in the golden age of health information — and the dark age of discernment.

Today, anyone can post medical advice online. Some of it comes from highly trained physicians and scientists. But much of it comes from influencers, wellness personalities, or under-credentialed voices presenting simplified answers to complex biological problems.

So how do you know who to trust?

In this episode of Endocrine Matters, Dr. Arti Thangudu breaks down how to evaluate health information online, why medical training and credentials matter, and how patients can learn to navigate health advice in a world flooded with content.

This episode explores:

🧠 Why misinformation spreads so easily in modern healthcare

📚 What physicians actually learn during medical school, residency, and fellowship

⚠️ The “dangerous confidence curve” and why confident voices aren't always the most qualified

🔍 How to verify medical credentials, licensing, and board certification

📊 The difference between evidence-based medicine and anecdotal health advice

🤖 The role of AI and social media in shaping modern health information

🩺 Why having a trusted physician relationship matters more than ever

Dr. Thangudu also explains why many patients turn to the internet for answers — and how systemic problems in U.S. healthcare, including rushed visits and limited access to physicians, create an environment where misinformation can thrive.

The goal of this episode is not to make patients cynical about health information, but to give them tools for discernment, curiosity, and critical thinking.

You don’t need to go to medical school to be an informed patient. But you deserve transparency about who you are listening to, what their training is, and how medical decisions are made.

Your health deserves more than viral content.

It deserves rigor, humility, and trustworthy care.

About the Host

Dr. Arti Thangudu is a board-certified endocrinologist specializing in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, with additional certification in Lifestyle Medicine and menopause care. She focuses on evidence-based care, metabolic health, hormone health, and improving transparency in healthcare.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• How physicians are trained and why that training matters

• How to evaluate health influencers and online health claims

• The difference between medical expertise and personal experience

• Why confident health advice can sometimes be misleading

• How to safely consume health content online

Resources Mentioned

You can verify physician credentials and licensing through:

• State Medical Board websites
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
• Board certification lookup tools

Learn More / Connect

✨ See Dr. Thangudu in clinic:

Complete Medicine →https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Stay connected:

Sign up for the newsletter →https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

📲 Follow Dr. Arti Thangudu

Instagram →@drartithangudu

About Endocrine Matters

Endocrine Matters is a podcast dedicated to hormone health, metabolic health, thyroid disease, menopause, obesity medicine, and evidence-based healthcare education.

Each episode breaks down complex medical topics so patients can make informed, empowered decisions about their health.

👉 Come see me in clinic:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Sign up for my newsletter:

https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

🎧 Listen to the Endocrine Matters podcast:

https://www.sacomplete.com/podcast

🎙️ Welcome to the Endocrine Matters podcast.

This podcast episode is sponsored by Complete Medicine and HeyHealthy.

Welcome back to Endocrine Matters. I’m your host, Dr. Arti Thangudu, board-certified endocrinologist, menopause society certified practitioner, and founder of Complete Medicine, where we care for high-achieving women living with obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, thyroid disease, and metabolic conditions.

Menopause & Heart Disease Risk: The Lipid Changes Doctors Miss (LDL, Triglycerides, ApoB, Lp(a) + What To Do)

On Endocrine Matters, Dr. Arti Thangudu joins endocrinologists Dr. Munira Mehta and Dr. Vidhya Illuri and dietitian Ana Mendez to discuss the often-overlooked rise in cardiovascular risk during the menopausal transition, when LDL, total cholesterol, ApoB, and triglycerides increase most sharply from about one year before to one to two years after the final menstrual period, independent of age and environmental factors. They explain how estrogen loss shifts lipids toward a more atherogenic profile, how HDL quantity and function can change, and why triglycerides above 200 predict worse cardiovascular health while goals are typically fasting levels under 150. They review who may need earlier screening (premature ovarian insufficiency, PCOS, early menopause, strong family history, some ethnic groups), lifestyle strategies (Mediterranean/DASH, fiber, fatty fish), and add-on tests like ApoB and Lp(a), plus coronary calcium scoring and statins for risk-based treatment.

Our goal is to help you understand the science, the nuance, and the ethics behind prescribing powerful metabolic medications—so patients can get safe, effective, and compassionate care.

If you’d like support navigating weight loss medications, metabolic health, menopause, or complex endocrine care, we’d love to help you at Complete Medicine.

📍 Learn more about becoming a patient:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @drartithangudu

Thank you so much for listening and for supporting Endocrine Matters.

👉 Come see me in clinic:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

👉 Other ways to work with me & stay connected:

✨ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

🎧 Listen to the Endocrine Matters podcast: https://www.sacomplete.com/podcast

Welcome to the Endocrine Matters Podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Complete Medicine and HeyHealthy.

Hello and welcome back to Endocrine Matters. I’m Dr. Arti Thangudu—endocrinologist, diabetes specialist, and someone who truly lives and breathes blood sugar.

Dr. Arti Thangudu reflects on two recent international trips—India with her family and Vietnam with friends—and explores travel through the lens of health, connection, and long-term wellbeing. In India, she describes her children’s first experience meeting extended family, visiting her mother’s childhood home, and witnessing a culture built around shared meals, childcare, and interdependence, prompting reflections on how structural isolation in the U.S. contributes to stress, anxiety, and loneliness. In Vietnam, she recounts learning about the Vietnam War and grappling with the contrast between historical trauma and the kindness, warmth, and generosity she experienced, leading to questions about societal healing, compassion, and public health. She then reviews research linking travel to stronger parent-child bonds, resilience, social and cognitive growth in children, and reduced stress, improved mood, and increased creativity in adults, with potential impacts on cortisol, sleep, inflammation, and insulin resistance. A central theme is co-regulation—the two-way emotional and physiological regulation between connected people—explaining how family travel uniquely strengthens self-regulation and resilience through shared novelty, uncertainty, problem-solving, and repair after conflict. She concludes with a reframe that travel is not escape but expansion, emphasizing that even small trips can provide meaning, perspective, and connection.

Thank you for being here and for being part of this community.

If you’d like to become a patient, visit https://www.sacomplete.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the channel—it truly means the world to me.

And for daily education and support, follow me on Instagram @drartithangudu

Until next time—take care of your blood sugar, and take care of yourself. 💙

👉 Come see me in clinic:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

👉 Other ways to work with me & stay connected:

✨ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

🎧 Listen to the Endocrine Matters podcast: https://www.sacomplete.com/podcast

Welcome to the Endocrine Matters Podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Complete Medicine and HeyHealthy.

Hello and welcome back to Endocrine Matters. I’m Dr. Arti Thangudu—endocrinologist, diabetes specialist, and someone who truly lives and breathes blood sugar.

This episode is deeply personal and incredibly important to me. Over the past few months, I’ve felt a strong call to return to type 1 diabetes education and awareness in a more urgent way. In my clinic, I continue to meet adults who have lived with type 1 diabetes for decades but were never truly taught how insulin works in real life—with food, stress, sleep, illness, hormones, and emotions all happening at once.

At the same time, type 1 diabetes has touched my own family. And when it hits close to home, you feel the weight of it differently—the fear, the constant decisions, the loneliness. I’ve also become acutely aware of how much community support is missing for children, teens, college students, adults, and parents living with type 1 diabetes.

One thing I want to be crystal clear about from the very beginning:

High blood sugars are not your fault. Low blood sugars are not a moral failure.

Type 1 diabetes cannot be managed from the outside. No doctor, pump, or algorithm can fully understand your body without you at the center. When patients understand why insulin doses are adjusted, fear decreases, shame fades, and confidence grows. The goal is not perfection—it’s understanding and empowerment.

In this episode, we walk through:

• Basal vs bolus insulin and how they truly work
• Why overnight highs don’t always mean you need more basal insulin
• The dangers of hypoglycemia and why we always treat lows first
• Insulin-to-carb ratios, insulin sensitivity factors, and insulin stacking
• How fat, protein, stress, exercise, hormones, and sleep affect blood sugar
• The role of CGMs, insulin pumps, and hybrid closed-loop systems
• Why A1C alone doesn’t tell the whole story
• Navigating diabetes burnout and the transition from childhood to adulthood

Type 1 diabetes is demanding—but it does not define your future. With education, support, compassion, and community, you can live a long, healthy, fulfilling life.

Thank you for being here and for being part of this community.

If you’d like to become a patient, visit https://www.sacomplete.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the channel—it truly means the world to me.

And for daily education and support, follow me on Instagram @drartithangudu

Until next time—take care of your blood sugar, and take care of yourself. 💙

👉 Come see me in clinic:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

💌 Sign up for my newsletter:

https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

🎧 Listen to the Endocrine Matters podcast:

https://www.sacomplete.com/podcast

🎙️ Welcome to the Endocrine Matters podcast.

This podcast episode is sponsored by Complete Medicine and HeyHealthy.

Welcome back to Endocrine Matters. I’m your host, Dr. Arti Thangudu, board-certified endocrinologist, menopause society certified practitioner, and founder of Complete Medicine, where we care for high-achieving women living with obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, thyroid disease, and metabolic conditions.

In today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different—we’re bringing you inside a real endocrinology journal club, but in a way that’s practical, relatable, and meaningful whether you’re a clinician, trainee, or someone living with obesity or metabolic disease.

I’m joined by two incredible endocrinologists and colleagues, Dr. Vidhya Illuri and Dr. Munira Mehta, as we break down a major new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on oral semaglutide for weight loss.

Together, we discuss:

• How this randomized, placebo-controlled trial was designed
• Why placebo and blinding matter in clinical research
• What the results actually show about weight loss outcomes
• Clinically significant weight loss and why even 5% matters
• Side effects, tolerability, and real-world prescribing challenges
• Oral vs injectable GLP-1 medications
• Access, pricing, pharmacy barriers, and why knowledgeable prescribing matters
• Why obesity is a chronic metabolic disease—not a cosmetic issue
• The importance of nutrition, muscle preservation, bone health, and long-term follow-up

If you’ve been hearing a lot about GLP-1 medications and wondering what’s real, what’s hype, and how this applies to everyday endocrine practice and patient safety, this episode is for you.

Our goal is to help you understand the science, the nuance, and the ethics behind prescribing powerful metabolic medications—so patients can get safe, effective, and compassionate care.

If you’d like support navigating weight loss medications, metabolic health, menopause, or complex endocrine care, we’d love to help you at Complete Medicine.

📍 Learn more about becoming a patient:

https://www.sacomplete.com/

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @drartithangudu

Thank you so much for listening and for supporting Endocrine Matters.

Welcome back to Endocrine Matters with Dr. Arti Thangudu! In this compelling episode, Dr. Arti dives into the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system with Chris Deacon, author of The Great American Healthcare Heist, and a celebrated healthcare reformer. Together, they discuss the financial and systemic challenges facing healthcare in America, including why extraordinary medical care often leads to financial devastation for patients and burnout for physicians. Chris shares her unique experiences from within public and private health systems, highlighting who profits, why meaningful reform is difficult, and actionable steps patients and clinicians can take to regain control. This episode is a must-watch for anyone looking to understand the intricate power structures in healthcare and the urgent need for reform. Don't miss out on this honest, illuminating discussion!

Come see me in clinic: https://www.sacomplete.com/

Other ways to stay connected:

🩺 Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.sacomplete.com/complete-medicine-blog

🎙️ Listen to my podcast “Endocrine Matters”: https://www.sacomplete.com/podcast

Welcome to Endocrine Matters, where we explore the science, stories, and self-discovery that shape women’s metabolic health.

This episode is sponsored by Complete Medicine and HeyHealthy.

I’m Dr. Arti Thangudu, a board-certified endocrinologist, diabetes and metabolism specialist, and menopause society certified practitioner. At my practice, Complete Medicine, I help high-achieving women navigate metabolic challenges like prediabetes, diabetes, thyroid disease, menopause, and weight concerns — with compassion, science, and deep respect for the whole person.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into something that sits at the intersection of health, hormones, culture, and self-awareness: alcohol.

This isn’t about judgment, addiction medicine, or moral choices. It’s about listening to your body, breaking free from cultural expectations, and reclaiming the power to choose what truly supports your energy, hormones, and long-term wellbeing.

We’ll talk about:

✨ Why not drinking is a valid and empowered choice

🧠 What the science says about alcohol and women’s health

💛 How to meet your needs for connection, calm, and joy without numbing your body

🌿 How to reconnect with yourself — grounded, present, and fully alive

You are allowed not to drink. You are allowed to feel well, to be clear-headed, and to protect your future self. You are not the odd one out — you’re ahead.

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with another woman who deserves to feel her best.

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube @drartithangudu for more conversations on hormones, metabolism, and thriving through every season of womanhood.