 Test for Hormones can help with the following: | |  | | | Aging |  Premature/Signs of Aging
 Alzheimer's Disease |
Hormones |
Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance
Low HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
Low Male Testosterone Level
Low Pregnenolone Level
Low Melatonin Level
Estrogens Low
Progesterone Excess
High Male Testosterone Level
High Female Testosterone Level
Low Female Testosterone Level
Hirsutism | Blood, saliva or urine tests may be arranged to make sure that the hirsutism is not due to excessive male hormone levels. |
Low Sex Drive| | Midlife is a time when sex desire decreases for many women. Inevitably, in most men also, sex drive decreases with age. This is often due to declining hormone levels, especially testosterone. Hormone replacement is particularly effective at this time for restoring libido. |
|
Immunity |
HIV/AIDS| | Several studies have shown that testosterone levels are generally lower and that testosterone administration alleviates fatigue and depression in men with HIV/AIDS. In one study, 80% of men reported significant improvements in their energy levels. [General Hospital Psychiatry, July 1998] |
|
Lab Values |
 Low Total Cholesterol| | A chronically low serum cholesterol level can be an unsuspected problem. Since cholesterol is the precursor to the adrenal and sex steroids, low levels may mean an insufficient supply of raw material for hormone production. When there are indications of hormone insufficiency, appropriate lab testing should be conducted. |
|
Laboratory Test Needed |
Hormone Imbalance |
Skin-Hair-Nails |
Male Hair Loss| | There have been several reports that supplemental DHEA has accelerated hair loss in susceptible men and women. Hormone level testing is advised prior to hormone use. |
Female Hair Loss| | There have been several reports that supplemental DHEA has accelerated hair loss in susceptible men and women. Hormone level testing is advised prior to hormone use. |
|
Tumors, Malignant |
Breast Cancer| | Testing for estrogen, progesterone and testosterone may help to properly evaluate breast and ovarian cancer risk. Some estrogens, as well as testosterone, may aggravate the risk whereas progesterone has a protective effect.
There are additional estrogenic tests that can be done to evaluate breast cancer risk. There is considerable and increasing research concerning the 2/16-alpha hydroxyestrone ratio. A very recent human study states: "2-hydroxyestrone levels and 2/16-alpha hydroxyestrone ratios were significantly lower, while 16-alpha hydroxyestrone levels were higher in breast cancer patients." The 2/16-alpha hydroxyestrone ratio appears to be a very significant predictive factor of breast cancer. Many laboratories are offering these tests now. |
Ovarian Cancer| | Testing for estrogens and progesterone may help to properly evaluate breast and ovarian cancer risk as some estrogens will promote risk while progesterone may protect against this cancer risk. |
|
Uro-Genital |
Menopausal Issues| | Checking primarily for estrogens and progesterone at this time of life, with subsequent hormone balancing, can provide both immediate and long-term benefit. |
Andropause/Male Menopause| | Hormone testing and replacement will help to reduce symptoms and prevent the consequences associated with premature hormone reductions seen in male menopause. |
Perimenopausal Issues
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)| | The most worrisome consideration in PCOS is the presence of an androgen-producing neoplasm. It is for this reason that a measurement of total testosterone and DHEA is recommended. |
Amenorrhea
Endometriosis
Erectile Dysfunction (ED, Impotence)| | Testosterone is the major hormone produced by men, but does not directly affect a man's erectile ability as much as it does libido or sexual desire. Men with low testosterone, however, have shown improvement in ED with hormone replacement. A clinical trial of testosterone for all types of erectile dysfunction is not recommended.
When considering lab testing, a full panel of tests should be considered such as DHEA, testosterone (total and free), DHT, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (best taken at 9am to avoid diurnal variations), progesterone and a PSA test for prostate cancer.
Testosterone replacement, preferably applied to the skin or by injection, typically ranges from 25-100mg of natural testosterone per day usually given in two divided doses.
DHEA has been reported to be low in some men with erectile dysfunction. In one double-blind trial, 40 men with low DHEA levels and ED were given 50mg of DHEA per day for six months. Significant improvement in both erectile function and interest in sex occurred in the men assigned to DHEA but not in those assigned to placebo. No significant change occurred in testosterone levels or in factors that could affect the prostate gland. [Urology 53: pp.590-5, 1999] |
|
| |  | |  |
KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Adrenal (Adrenal Gland, Adrenal Glands, Adrenals)
The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney and consist of an outer cortex and an inner medulla. Of the 50 or so hormones the adrenals make, only cortisone and adrenaline are recognized by most people. Some of these hormones must be produced to preserve life, while others help resist stress. Other hormones from the adrenals control normal energy output (along with the thyroid) and govern the breakdown of stored energy into quick energy sources. The medulla produces epinephrine and norepinephrine, which are specifically designed to help the body deal with stressful situations. The adrenals control the body's potassium/sodium balance, which is vital for energy production. They also produce sex hormones in minute amounts, which is important for later years when the gonads drop or cease their production.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An immune system deficiency disorder that suddenly alters the body's ability to defend itself. The AIDS virus invades the T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and/or cancer, with ultimate death.
Bioavailability
The amount of a nutrient that enters the bloodstrean and thus reaches the tissues and organs of the body.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
DHEA (DHEA-S)
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid produced by the adrenal glands and is the most abundant one found in humans. DHEA may be transformed into testosterone, estrogen or other steroids. It is found in the body as DHEA or in the sulfated form known as DHEA-S. One form is converted into the other as needed.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
A highly active form of testosterone, which influences many aspects of manly behavior, from sex drive to aggression. The conversion from testosterone to DHT is driven by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which is produced in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp.
Estrogen (Oestrogen)
One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Hormones (Hormone)
Chemical substances secreted by a variety of body organs that are carried by the bloodstream and usually influence cells some distance from the source of production. Hormones signal certain enzymes to perform their functions and, in this way, regulate such body functions as blood sugar levels, insulin levels, the menstrual cycle, and growth. These can be prescription, over-the-counter, synthetic or natural agents. Examples include adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids and aldosterone; glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, estrogens, progestins, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and calcitonin.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
A retrovirus associated with onset of advanced immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Luteinizing Hormone
Anterior pituitary hormone stimulating estrogen production by the ovary; promoting formation of progesterone by the corpus luteum in women and stimulating testosterone release in men.
Menopause (Menopausal)
The cessation of menstruation (usually not official until 12 months have passed without periods), occurring at the average age of 52. As commonly used, the word denotes the time of a woman's life, usually between the ages of 45 and 54, when periods cease and any symptoms of low estrogen levels persist, including hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, loss of libido and vaginal dryness. When these early menopausal symptoms subside, a woman becomes postmenopausal.
Menstruation (Menses, Menstrual, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Cycles, Menstrual Flow, Menstrual Phase, Monthly Cycle)
The periodic discharge of blood, tissue fluid and mucus from the endometrium (lining of the uterus) that usually lasts from 3 - 5 days. It is caused by a sudden reduction in estrogens and progesterone.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Placebo (Placebos)
A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments.
Precursor (Precursors)
A biochemical substance, such as an intermediate compound in a chain of enzymatic reactions, from which a more stable or definitive product is formed.
Progesterone
This is the hormone secreted after ovulation by the corpus luteum. It is a steroid (similar to a cholesterol), enters receptive cells to stimulate their growth, and acts as an anabolic agent. Estrogen should be viewed as the primary coat underneath all the cycles during a woman's reproductive years, with progesterone, its antagonist, surging for ten or twelve days in ovulatory months. Most of the actions of progesterone cannot occur without estrogen having previously induced the growth of progesterone-receptive binding sites.
Prolactin
An anterior pituitary peptide hormone that initiates and maintains lactation.
Prostate
The prostate gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra and produces a secretion that liquefies coagulated semen.
Saliva (Salivary)
The watery mixture of secretions from the salivary and oral mucous glands that lubricates chewed food and moistens the oral walls.
Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin)
A glycoprotein, synthesized in the liver, which binds testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone strongly, and estradiol somewhat less strongly. Circulating testosterone is mainly bound to protein - primarily SHBG, but also to albumin and cortisol-binding globulin. Since variations in the carrier protein levels may affect the concentration of testosterone in circulation, SHBG levels are commonly measured as a supplement to total testosterone determinations. The "free androgen index" (FAI), calculated as the ratio of total testosterone to SHBG, has proved to be a useful indicator of abnormal androgen status in conditions such as hirsutism.
Steroid (Steroids)
Any of a large number of hormonal substances with a similar basic chemical structure containing a 17-carbon 14-ring system and including the sterols and various hormones and glycosides.
Testosterone
The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
Last updated: May 26, 2008
|
 |
|
|
