Hormones: Hormones are chemical messengers which travel in your blood and control the way your body works. Hormones control many body functions, from growth and metabolism to reproduction and your sleep cycle.
LH
LH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. It plays an essential role in male and female fertility. In women, levels of LH peak before ovulation
Oestradiol
Oestradiol is the primary female sex hormone, but it is also an essential hormone for men. It is a type of hormone called an oestrogen that supports a healthy reproductive system and healthy breast tissue and bones.
Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone important for both men and women that regulates sex drive (libido), muscle mass, fertility, and mood. This biomarker measures the total amount of testosterone in your blood – both free and bound testosterone.
FSH
FSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. This hormone is essential for producing eggs in women and producing sperm in men. In women, FSH levels peak at ovulation and can increase in menopause.
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. Its primary purpose is to stimulate milk production after childbirth. But prolactin is known to have over 300 other body functions in both men and women.
Free Androgen Index
Androgens are male sex hormones but are also present in women. Most androgens are bound to proteins which makes them unavailable for our body to use. Measuring FAI estimates the level of androgens in the blood that are ‘free’ (unbound) so are available for your body to use.
Free Testosterone-calc
Some testosterone in your blood is bound to proteins which makes it unavailable for your body’s cells. A smaller amount of testosterone is ‘unbound’ in your blood, meaning that it is available for your body cells to use. Unbound testosterone is also known as ‘free testosterone’.
About Proteins
Proteins play many diverse roles in our bodies, from maintaining the functioning of cells, a healthy immune system to building our muscles. Protein levels in your blood can tell you many different things about your health and measuring protein levels can help our doctors interpret your blood results.
SHBG
Most sex hormones, such as testosterone and oestrogen, bind to SHBG in the blood. When hormones are bound to SHBG, it means our body cannot use them. Measuring levels of SHBG can help to uncover if your hormone levels are right for you.
Albumin
Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood. The liver produces albumin, and its role is to transport other essential compounds in your blood, such as nutrients and hormones.
Adrenal Hormones
Adrenal are hormones that affect many parts of the body. They travel in your blood and plays a role in metabolism as well as how your body responds to stress.
DHEA Sulphate
DHEA sulphate is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in both men and women. It is an important precursor (ingredient) in the production of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen.
Does this test measure total or free testosterone?
There are two testosterone types in your blood: free testosterone, which is available for your cells to use, and bound testosterone, which is bound to proteins, so is not available for your cells. The Male Hormone Blood Test measures free testosterone and total testosterone, a combination of free plus bound testosterone. This test gives a detailed and valuable picture of the level of testosterone in your body.
What is testosterone replacement therapy? (TRT)
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a way to add the hormone testosterone back into your body to a normal level with an aim to ease your undesirable symptoms. There are various ways your doctor may offer TRT, including injections, skin gels or patches or oral tablets.
What are the benefits and risks of TRT?
Benefits of TRT include:
- A reduction in unpleasant symptoms associated with low testosterone
- An improvement in mood
- Improvements to sex drive and erectile function
- Stronger and healthier bones
- A reduction in your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes
Risks of TRT include:
- Shrinkage of the testes
- Acne an oily skin
- Mood changes
- Worsening of sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea
- Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD)
- Reduction in sperm quality and fertility
If you are considering taking TRT under your doctor’s advice, you should discuss these risks with them. This is especially important if you are considering having children in the future.
Are male hormones important for women?
Although testosterone is commonly known as a male hormone, it is also essential for maintaining sex drive (libido), muscle mass, fertility, and mood in women. In older age, women can experience a decline in hormone levels such as oestradiol and testosterone. This decline could cause symptoms such as poor bone health, vaginal dryness, and low sex drive. Doctors may prescribe women with hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) to help with unpleasant menopausal symptoms. This HRT is usually a combination of hormones, including oestradiol, but in the UK, testosterone is not currently licensed to treat women.
Does this test measure high levels of testosterone?
Many testosterone tests will not measure testosterone levels above 52 nmol/L. Our Testosterone Blood Test will measure blood levels of testosterone up to 520 nmol/L. This is especially useful for men who are taking testosterone and expect to have supra normal levels of testosterone.
Can women take this test?
High levels of male hormones in women can cause:
- Changes to the menstrual cycle
- Reduced sex drive
- Acne
- Thinning hair on the head
- Excessive body hair growth
In women, high male hormone levels can occur due to many reasons. Some women may experience higher than normal levels of male hormones due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Women may be interested to take the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Blood Test – this test is specially designed to help women find out whether their hormone levels could be contributing to symptoms of PCOS.
Avoid taking your sample from a finger used to apply hormone gels/pessaries/patches in the past 4 weeks. Use gloves to apply these. Do not take biotin supplements for 2 days before this test, discuss this with your doctor if it is prescribed. If you are a woman take this test 2 to 5 days after the start of your period, ideally on day 3. It can be taken any time if you do not have periods.
To find out whether a hormonal change could be causing your symptoms