Hormonal Health

How Hormones Affect Women’s Health

Hormones influence nearly every aspect of a woman’s well-being, from metabolism and energy to reproductive health and mood. Imbalances can lead to symptoms like fatigue, irregular cycles, weight changes, and fertility challenges.

What Does This Test Panel Analyze?

This panel includes key reproductive hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH, along with markers like cortisol and thyroid hormones for a comprehensive hormonal assessment. This test is valuable for women experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance, planning for pregnancy, or managing conditions like PCOS or menopause. Understanding hormone levels can provide insights into overall health and guide personalized care.

List of Tests

Progesterone is a hormone primarily produced by the ovaries in women and smaller amounts by the adrenal glands in both men and women. It plays a key role in regulating the menstrual cycle, supporting pregnancy, and maintaining overall hormone balance. In women, progesterone prepares the uterus for a fertilized egg and helps maintain early pregnancy.

The levels of progesterone fluctuate during a woman's menstrual cycle. If a woman becomes pregnant, progesterone levels will continually increase as the body prepares to support a developing baby. If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels will decrease, and the menstrual period will begin. If pregnancy occurs, progesterone blood levels could be ten times higher than in a non-pregnant woman. Men also produce progesterone but in much smaller amounts.

The progesterone test is usually requested by physicians to:

Find out the cause of a woman's infertility
Determine when ovulation occurs
Evaluate miscarriage risk
Monitor high-risk pregnancies
Evaluate menstrual irregularities
Detect hormone imbalances
Diagnose ectopic pregnancies (a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus)

Abnormal Progesterone Levels

Low Progesterone - Indications and Causes

Anovulation: A cycle without egg release can lead to insufficient progesterone production.
Luteal phase defect: In some women, the corpus luteum (which produces progesterone after ovulation) may not produce enough progesterone.
Perimenopause: Hormonal fluctuations during this time can lead to lower progesterone levels.
Chronic stress: High cortisol levels (the stress hormone) can inhibit progesterone production.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This condition can disrupt ovulation and lower progesterone levels.
Hormonal imbalance: Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid disorders (hypothyroidism) can disrupt progesterone levels.
Miscarriage risk: Low progesterone levels during early pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage.
Poor diet: Nutrient deficiencies, especially zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and magnesium, can affect progesterone production.
Aging: Progesterone levels naturally decline with age, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.
High blood sugar: Elevated blood sugar levels affect many hormones and often play a role in hormone imbalance.
Excessive exercise: Intense or excessive physical activity can affect hormone balance and lower progesterone levels.
Medications: Certain medications, including hormonal contraceptives and corticosteroids, may suppress progesterone production.
Environmental factors: Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, pesticides, and personal care products can interfere with hormone function, causing increased hormonal symptoms, earlier menopausal transition, and increased risk of certain cancers.

Low Progesterone - Symptoms

Irregular or absent periods
Infertility or difficulty maintaining pregnancy
Short luteal phase (second half of the menstrual cycle)
Mood changes, including anxiety or depression
Fatigue
Spotting or bleeding between periods
Low libido

High Progesterone - Indications and Causes

Pregnancy: Progesterone levels naturally rise during pregnancy to support fetal development.
Luteal phase: Levels peak after ovulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle.
Hormone therapy: Progesterone supplementation or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can cause high levels.
Ovarian cysts or tumors: In rare cases, ovarian cysts or certain tumors can cause elevated progesterone.
Adrenal disorders: Overproduction of progesterone can occur due to adrenal gland dysfunction.

High Progesterone - Symptoms

Fatigue or drowsiness
Mood swings, irritability, or depression
Bloating
Breast tenderness
Headaches
Weight gain
Acne or oily skin

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein produced mainly in the liver that binds to sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estrogen, in the bloodstream. SHBG controls the amount of testosterone and estrogen that is available for the body's tissues to use. When hormones are bound to SHBG, they are inactive and cannot be used by cells. The levels of SHBG can influence the balance of available sex hormones, affecting many bodily processes.

The Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) test measures the level of SHBG in your blood. This test is often used to help diagnose conditions related to abnormal levels of sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. It is particularly useful when total hormone levels are normal, but symptoms of hormone imbalance are present.

Low SHGB Levels

Low SHBG levels have been associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders including metabolic syndrome, as well as some cancers and arthritis in both genders.

Low SHBG - Causes

Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Hypothyroidism
Cushing’s syndrome
Use of anabolic steroids or androgenic medications
Excessive androgen production (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hirsutism, hair loss, and infertility in women).
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Low SHBG - Symptoms

Acne
Excessive body or facial hair (hirsutism)
Oily skin
Irregular menstrual cycles (in women)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms
Aggression or mood changes (in men)
Potential symptoms related to excess free estrogen (in women):
Weight gain
Breast tenderness
Menstrual irregularities

High SHGB Levels

Often, higher levels of SHBG are associated with positive health outcomes. For example, elevated SHBG levels have been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer. However, they are also linked to a higher risk of bone loss and fractures, hypogonadism in males, and hepatic cirrhosis. In some cases, it may be caused by hyperthyroidism, as thyroid hormone stimulates the production and release of SHBG.

High SHBG - Causes

Hyperthyroidism
Hypogonadism
Liver disease (Hepatic cirrhosis)
Hormones: Estrogen (including estrogen therapy or oral contraceptives), thyroid or growth hormones or other growth factors
Pregnancy
Anorexia nervosa
Aging (SHBG levels naturally increase with age)
Certain genetic conditions
Nutritional status

High SHBG - Symptoms

Decreased libido
Erectile dysfunction (in men)
Fatigue
Loss of muscle mass
Osteoporosis or decreased bone density
Mood swings or depression

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Hormonal Health

How Hormones Affect Women’s Health

What Does This Test Panel Analyze?

List of Tests

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