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Female
Hormone Panel (FHP)
For most women, hormone therapy is a very "one size fits all" proposition. This is simply inappropriate due to the varied nature among women, natural cyclical hormone changes and the need for more frequent sampling to properly quantify hormone levels present. Often only a single blood sample is taken to assess hormone levels. It has been shown for example, that a single sample on day 20-22 of a cycle is less than 50% accurate. That's one of the many reasons I have chosen to use the FHP: it remedies this shortcoming by using a schedule for 11 samples distributed over a complete cycle - start to finish. The FHP includes 11 Estradiol (E2) and 11 Progesterone (P) measurements, cycle average DHEA and Testosterone, 3 Progesterone production indices, 4 Estradiol production indices, a full cycle P/E ratio graph and an example of a restorative plan. I find that these values are just as important as any other value that we obtain each year such as our cholesterol number or anything else. Hormones affect more than we might initially believe. They are powerful, present and there to work for you not against you. Arm yourself with the most information possible by reading through this website and then make the decision for yourself about whether you think that it's important to include this testing at the same time that you complete your annual exam. It's that important. I hope you'll agree.
This panel includes all of the tests of the FHP with the addition of 5 LH and FSH measurements to see if brain control and stimulation of the ovaries is optimal. I commonly use this test to assess women with fertility issues. There should be links for the following: Who should consider a Female Hormone Panel? This particular test is most applicable to cycling women experiencing the following: *Weight gain How does the FHP assess the risk for breast & uterine diseases? It is universally accepted that there is an increased risk for proliferative diseases in the breast and endometrial tissues when estrogen is overly dominant. The FHP and eFHP panels include the Follicular Estrogen Priming Index that quantifies the impact of excessive estradiol in cycling women. It should be known that certain estrogen metabolites have been and are falsely promoted as risk markers for breast cancer. A study, which compared 2/16 Hydroxyestrone ratio in women with breast cancer to a control group of cancer-free women, concluded that there is no support for the hypothesis that the ratio 2/16 Hydroxyestrone is an important risk factor for breast cancer. (J Nat'l Cancer Inst 1999 Jun 16:91(12):1067-72) What are the ADVANTAGES of the FHP & eFHP? 1. Convenience: There are no blood draws required and no
repeat visits to the lab necessary. You receive one kit
and complete it on your own. You are also able to avoid
the inconvenience of the 24-hour urine collection.
Estrogen has many vitals roles that it plays in a woman's body. Although often vilified, it is a very necessary component to overall health when present in the correct proportions. For a brief overview, please read the following: Reproductive Central Nervous System Sexuality Growth Bone Health Glycemic Regulation Adipose Tissue Immune System Skin What do you know about PROGESTERONE? Much of the time so much focus is given to estrogen that progesterone is left out of the conversation. Frequently I often see that it is a matter of too much estrogen in relation to the amount of progesterone present. If related to the game of basketball for example, it's like having one team of 5 against a team of 3 during regular court play when there's a maximum of 5 players allowed on the court. The team of 3 is going to have to struggle the entire time just to keep up let alone trying to plan ahead in any way. This is a situation called "Estrogen Dominance" and there's a lot that can be done about it. I see it in women who've taken the birth control pill for even as little as 1 year and I've seen it in women that haven't ever taken it at all due to other environmental estrogens that abound around us. With respect to fertility issues particularly, many of the women I've worked with over the years have not been able to sustain a pregnancy in large part because there wasn't sufficient progesterone to prevent spontaneous abortion until the placental progesterone could kick in. For a brief overview, please read the following: Reproductive Central Nervous System Bone Health Sexuality Breast Immunity What do you know about DHEA? For a brief overview, please read the following: Reproductive Sexuality Antiglucocorticoid Hormone Breast Bone Health Glycemic Regulation Immune System Somatic Anticarcinogenic What do you know about TESTOSTERONE? Often thought of in men only, testosterone is vital, particularly where sexual function is concerned. For a brief overview, please read the following: Central Nervous System/Behavioral Sexuality Breast Bone Health Glycemic Regulation Somatic Cardiovascular Immune System Why are LH & FSH important to me? The main purpose of LH & FSH is to regulate ovarian function. Their origin is the pituitary gland in the brain. FSH promotes ovarian estrogen production and LH induces
ovulation and progesterone production. While in perimenopause FSH is correlated with the following: When under a great deal of stress or exercising excessively, the amount of LH may be affected this inhibiting ovulation. Stress makes women more estrogenic and less fertile along with more prone to a host of proliferative diseases. *Diagnos-Techs, Inc. 
Male
Hormone Panel
Most people don't consider the hormone health of men, but it must be regarded with respect to three key areas: Vigor, Vitality & Virility. Problems that concern men in the area of vigor include a loss of a sense of well being, difficulty concentrating, depression, irritability and nervousness along with changes in both behavior and sleep patterns. Loss of vitality presents itself as a decrease in hair density, a reduction in masculinity and an overall decrease in both muscle mass and strength. A decrease in virility can affect both partners as a decline in sexual function and interest, a diminished libido and erectile dysfunction. Although commonly regarded as a woman's issue only, osteoporosis is still a concern for men as a decrease in bone mass can become a problem. For women there is menopause. For men, andropause. Many men in their fifties or older experience a progressive decline in their energy, sexual performance and mental capacity. It is believe that it is caused by a reduction in testosterone and other androgens. Testicles will show a progressive annual drop of 1-1.5% in testosterone output after age 30. The clinical manifestations of andropause usually lag 20 years behind the onset of hormone decline. Statistically, it will affect at least 40% of men ages 55-65 and up to 80% of those aged 65 years or more. The Male Hormone Panel is the first salivary test that evaluates the androgen pathway by measuring the free fractions of the following 6 hormones: DHEA, Progesterone, Androstenedione, Estrone, Testosterone and DHT. Knowing the levels of the 6-8 hormones measured in the Male Hormone Panels helps you formulate an effective plan to relieve andropausal symptoms. Expanded Male Hormone Panel This panel includes all of the 6 tests in the regular Male Hormone Panel, with the addition of FSH and LH. Salivary quantification of these two hormones is one of the technological breakthroughs that separates Diagnos-Techs from other laboratories. Testosterone and sperm production in males are the equivalent to estrogen and ovulation in females. As hormones produced by the pituitary, FSH and LH stimulate and regulate these functions in both men and women. Early detection of an increase in these levels indicates a progressive decline in male sexuality and functionality. Clinically the panel is used to measure baseline hormones for future comparison, assessing andropause and hypogonadism, monitoring HRT, balancing the hormones, investigating prostate hypertrophy, the thinning of hair, hirsutism and low libido. Adapted from Diagnos-Techs, Inc.
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