Dr. Sean Zager is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, where he also completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine.  His residency training is in family medicine through UCSF/Sutter Health in Santa Rosa, California.  Dr. Zager is a board-certified family physician with a passion for holistic approaches to thyroid patient care.  

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When it comes to caring for people with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), Dr. Zager has found it helpful to draw from both conventional medicine and evidence-based alternative methods of diagnosis and treatment.  

He believes that treatment for thyroid issues like hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's is certainly not a "one-size-fits-all" operation.  Effective approaches come from an understanding of each person's narrative, with reference to lifestyle and individual goals. Dr. Zager also often thinks of thyroid management in relation to adrenal, immune, and gastrointestinal health.

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In his free time, Dr. Zager likes to run with his son in the stroller, hang out with friends and listen to music, and strum on his ukulele.

What makes you passionate about treating patients with hypothyroidism: 

It is rewarding to work with patients who finally feel "seen" in their hypothyroid care.   To witness improvement in the health of my patients, by virtue of a more integrative and personalized treatment approach, is why I do this work.  I enjoy helping hypothyroid patients feel empowered, with a clear understanding of the various diagnostic and therapeutic options available for optimal health. As thyroid hormone levels are brought into balance, it is a wonderful thing to watch symptoms of hypothyroidism fade and patients reclaim a capacity to move forward in their lives.

My approach to treating patients with hypothyroidism is:

My approach to treating patients with hypothyroidism is highly individualized and informed by trends in both symptoms and thyroid test results.  My patients and I discuss prescription treatment options alongside natural, complementary therapies and lifestyle considerations for thyroid support.  We frequently talk through the pillars of health -- nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep hygiene.  Finally, as our thyroid glands live in a (fantastically complex) body and not a vacuum, my patients and I often look at potential contributions to thyroid dysfunction from other glands (e.g., adrenal) and systems (e.g., GI) in the body.