SALIVA HORMONE TESTING

ROLE OF HORMONES IN HEALTH MAINTENANCE

Adequate levels and an appropriate balance of hormones (Cortisol, DHEAS, Oestrone, Oestradiol, Oestriol, Melatonin, Progesterone, Testosterone) are necessary for maintaining optimal health and well being in both females and males. This family of hormones supports a large range of essential physiological functions including, blood lipid balance, bone mineral density, fertility, sexuality, a general sense of well-being, as well as certain aspects of balanced brain functioning.

The testing of hormones in saliva can assist in providing an index of your body’s hormonal environment to determine if any symptoms you are experiencing are associated with an imbalance or lack of specific hormones.

At Bradford Cosmedical, we can check relevant levels of your sex and stress hormones and then recommend treatments for any imbalances with lifestyle and diet modification, supplements and/or natural hormone replacement.

Recognition and treatment of such an imbalance may promote better health and reduce the effects of ageing.

WHY USE SALIVA TO TEST HORMONES

Your saliva hormone values give you an excellent picture of your “free” hormone levels. This free portion of your total hormones is extremely important because it is these hormones, which are available to carry out critical jobs in different parts of your body. About 95% of your total blood hormones are bound to carrier proteins therefore not available to your tissues. On the other hand, the remaining 1% to 5% is free to move into your cells and make changes. In general, if you have had blood hormones measured, these results reflect your total hormone levels and not the crucial “free” fraction. Therefore you can expect your saliva results to be much lower than the blood values.

HOW WE USE YOUR SALIVA RESULTS

Basically, the goal of saliva hormone monitoring is to determine whether or not hormone replacement therapy or another form of intervention is appropriate for you. If you are already taking hormones, testing will allow you to adjust dosages, both optimising benefits and minimising risks. The concept of hormone dosing and titration (dosage adjustment) is new and constantly evolving towards providing the optimal level of replacement for health and vitality.

Our current gender and age-based saliva hormone ranges are guidelines for targeting a hormone level that gives and sustains optimal health. Ranges given for postmenopausal and older populations are representative of normal, un-supplemented hormone levels and not necessarily those which will provide maximum well-being. For example, an Oestradiol level may fall within the normal range for a postmenopausal woman but is probably insufficient for heart and bone protection. Titration to more youthful target ranges is an important goal in achieving optimum health.