![]() Additionally, the DUTCH test provides urinary organic acids and neurotransmitters, which I again find to be helpful when I’m evaluating a patient in terms of the broader function of their body, including gut health, dysbiosis, and fungal overgrowth. I suggest reviewing the results with an informed, functional medicine clinician.īoth the Complete Hormones and the DUTCH test provide cortisol metabolism and estrogen metabolism data, along with androgens like testosterone. It can shed light on things like whether you have a modifiable tendency toward breast cancer or a risk of osteoporosis. Either will tell you about your adrenals (both short- and long-term function), and your estrogen metabolism, which can say if you have too much wear and tear from cortisol. ![]() ![]() You can consider the Complete Hormones profile test from Genova Diagnostics or the DUTCH test from Precision Analytics, which stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. Once you cross into self-testing territory, there’s no perfect test and much confusion. The four-point urine test allows physicians to diagnose whether there is a flat diurnal pattern, which is considered worse than smoking according to the Whitehall Study, and may be a marker of greater mortality in those with breast cancer. Finally, I can measure cortisol awakening response in dried urine, which I use clinically for patients with mood disorders like depression. Dried urine also provides free and metabolized cortisol, which I find to be clinically helpful, especially in patients with normal serum cortisol. I used to ask my patients to do at-home 24-hour urine tests, which average the cortisol level over the course of the day, but it don’t tell you about variations in the stress response control system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.īecause of that, my favorite at-home test is dried urine for several reasons: It provides the cortisol level over the course of the day, at four points (usually upon awakening, before lunch and dinner, and before bed). Finally, the serum cortisol test provides only a snapshot of total cortisol while the needle is in the vein, not over the course of the day like four-point dried urine testing or saliva testing. Additionally, the serum or plasma tells you total cortisol, not the free level of cortisol, which is biologically active. If you’re stressed about it or have a needle phobia that can give you a false positive result. The gold standard for measuring adrenal hormones is a blood draw (i.e., sticking a needle in a vein to draw blood) and then run a serum test in a laboratory. Depending on your doctor’s experience, he or she may be able to recommend at-home or lab tests. Speak with your doctor about testing your hormones in a standard blood test, and specifically request a morning cortisol test in blood. Where Should I Start?īegin with a conventional blood test. I’ll answer some of the most common questions and refer you to some of the top clinical and at-home testing options available. Hormones are the root of so many health issues, so testing your hormones at home gives you the power to see what’s going on inside and decide what to do with the golden ticket. At-home testing is just one way to take the reins over your medical destiny, learn about the state of your general health, glean important information about how to alter your lifestyle to impact your physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as how you age. Doing these tests can be insightful and shed light on any particular issues. Imbalances in adrenal hormones can have a wide range of negative consequences that can adversely impact a patient's overall quality of life.Many people ask me about self-testing for hormone imbalances. Which patients might benefit from HPA axis testing?ĭaily hassles, chronic pain, blood sugar dysregulation, work stressors, and poor relationship quality can alter the HPA axis. Salivary testing is an easy, non-invasive option to measure unbound, biologically active parent hormone levels. The Adrenocortex Stress Profile (ASP) provides an assessment of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis using carefully timed salivary samples of the hormones cortisol and DHEA. A Comprehensive Tool to Assess Stress Response and Resiliency
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