Hormone blood tests

What does the Hormones measure?

This group measures reproductive hormones (testosterone, estradiol, LH, FSH), and others such as prolactin, cortisol and PTH.

Why is the Hormones ordered?

They are ordered to look into fertility, menstrual changes, and other hormone-related symptoms.

Tests in this panel

Each test links to its own page with named reference-range sources.

Sources: [Endocrine Society] [AACE] [ACOG] [American Society for Reproductive Medicine] [Growth Hormone Research Society]

• Total TestosteroneTotal testosterone is a sex hormone made mainly in the testicles and ovaries, with a smaller amount from the adrenal glands. The test adds together the portion bound to carrier proteins and the small unbound portion.
• Free TestosteroneThis fraction circulates with no carrier protein attached to it. Because nothing holds it back, the unbound hormone can enter cells and switch on their receptors.
• Estradiol (E2)Estradiol is the strongest natural estrogen. In women it comes mainly from the ovaries, with smaller amounts from the testes and adrenal glands.
• ProgesteroneProgesterone is a steroid hormone. After you release an egg the ovary makes it, and during pregnancy the placenta takes over.
• LHLuteinizing hormone comes from the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. It triggers egg release in women and testosterone in men.
• FSHFollicle-stimulating hormone comes from the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. It helps eggs mature and supports sperm production.
• ProlactinProlactin comes from the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. It drives milk production after birth and also helps immune and metabolic roles.
• CortisolCortisol is a steroid hormone from the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It helps manage energy, immune response, blood pressure, and stress.
• DHEA-SDHEA-S is a stored form of DHEA and an early building block for sex hormones. The adrenal glands, above the kidneys, make almost all of it.
• AMHAMH is a protein made by small follicles in the ovaries. Doctors use it as an indirect clue to how many eggs remain.
• SHBGSHBG is a protein made mainly by the liver. It binds testosterone and estradiol, and this controls how much reaches your tissues.
• 17-OH Progesterone17-OH Progesterone is an intermediate compound in the chemical pathway that builds cortisol. The adrenal glands and gonads produce it partway through that manufacturing sequence.
• AldosteroneAldosterone is a hormone from the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It balances sodium and potassium and helps steady blood pressure.
• ReninRenin is an enzyme the kidneys secrete when blood pressure or salt levels drop. It triggers a cascade of reactions that tightens vessels and conserves sodium to raise pressure back up.
• ACTHACTH is released by the pituitary, a small gland under the brain. It travels through the blood to the adrenal glands and switches on cortisol production there.
• Growth HormoneThe pituitary, a small gland beneath the brain, secretes this hormone in pulses. It signals cells to grow and shapes how the body handles protein, fat, and sugar.
• IGF-1IGF-1 is a protein made mainly by the liver in response to growth hormone. It circulates in the blood and drives much of that hormone's effect on tissues.
• Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)PTH comes from the parathyroid glands in your neck. It raises blood calcium by acting on bone and kidneys, and indirectly on the gut.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in the Hormones?

This group measures reproductive hormones (testosterone, estradiol, LH, FSH), and others such as prolactin, cortisol and PTH. It typically reports 18 results: Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, Estradiol (E2), Progesterone, LH, FSH, Prolactin, Cortisol, and more.

Why is the Hormones ordered?

They are ordered to look into fertility, menstrual changes, and other hormone-related symptoms.

How should the Hormones be read as a whole?

No single value tells the full story — the results are read together, and each value is compared against the reference range printed on your own report, which can vary by lab, method and equipment.

Do the reference ranges in the Hormones vary between labs?

Yes. Ranges depend on the laboratory's equipment and method, so the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result. Each test page names the standards body behind its range.