Overview
This test measures analytes Cx4 (cortisol) in saliva and E2 (estradiol), Pg (progesterone), T (testosterone), SHBG, DS (DHEAS), TSH, fT3 (free T3), fT4 (free T4) and TPOab in bloobspot.
When patients have hormone-related symptoms, it is usually not a clear-cut case of one hormone level being abnormal, or even one hormone system. In fact, because of the role that hormones play as chemical messengers to wake up the genome in specific target tissues throughout the body, it makes sense that all hormone systems work in concert with each other to maintain a state of balance. This could be likened to the instruments in an orchestra playing together in harmony; when one instrument is off key or playing too loudly or softly (analogous to too much or too little hormone), the overall harmony is affected. In a similar manner, the adrenal, thyroid, and sex hormones work in harmony, and when one or more of the hormones in any one system become unbalanced, this affects the harmony or balance of the whole system.
Priced lower than the sum of the individual tests, this provide a more economical method to assess a patient’s overall hormonal status, giving a better picture of the hormone imbalances that are causing symptoms. Instead of treating a secondary hormonal imbalance caused by an abnormality in only one of the hormonal systems (e.g., hot flashes caused by low estradiol), you can address the underlying issues that lie at the root of the problem, and therefore, better guide your patients towards overall wellness.
Some hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA-S and cortisol) can be determined in either blood spot or saliva, and so your choice depends on which of these is the most suitable for the individual patient.
Saliva is an excellent way to assess sex and adrenal hormone levels in women, and we find a good correlation with symptoms. However, in individuals who produce very little saliva, saliva collection may not be possible and in those who use hormones in a sublingual or troche supplement, saliva hormone testing is not appropriate and blood spot testing is a better choice. In individuals using sublingual hormones, it is difficult to know how much of the hormone in saliva results from direct saturation of the oral mucosa and salivary glands (resulting in false-high salivary levels) versus how much hormone is entering the salivary gland and saliva from the blood circulation.