... for your health, your children's health and the health of the environment.
History
Until recently, hormone levels have been tested using serum (blood minus red blood cells).
While this method is fine for testing triglycerides, cholesterol, and many other substances in the body, it is not the best nor the most accurate method for assessing the body's steroid hormone levels … in particular, oestrogens (oestradiol, oestrone, oestriol), progesterone, androgens (DHEA, testosterone), and cortisol.
"Free" vs. "Bound" Hormones
Only about 1-10% of the steroids in the blood are unbound (free) form as they are mostly bound to carrier proteins.
For a hormone to act on a target tissue (breast, uterus, etc.) it must be unbound.
Saliva Testing
It is well documented that salivary levels of hormone reflect the "free" fraction as free steroid hormones passively traverse into cells in the salivary gland. One the other hand, bound hormones, because of their much larger molecular size, cannot do so.
By measuring the salivary hormone levels a more meaningful picture is obtained.
Reference Levels
Baseline measurement of hormone levels in saliva provides an accurate assessment of menstrual levels for younger women and changes in levels for peri and post menopausal women.
Laboratories performing saliva tests over many years have developed "normal" reference levels to enable comparison and thus give the doctor and patient a guideline from which to begin supplementation of BHRT, if required.
N.B. Some doctors who embrace BHRT still prefer to use serum tests and salivary tests in conjunction as they feel this reflects the total amounts of hormones in the body.
How to contact Laboratories in Australia performing Saliva Tests.
Pathlab, Burwood Vic.
Tel. 03 8831 3000
(www.pathlab.com.au)
Analytical Reference Labs
North Melbourne
Tel 03 9328 3586
(www.arlaus.com.au)
Acknowledgements
Lee J.R., Zava D., Hopkins V.
"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer"
Cabot, Sandra
"Hormone Replacement The Real Truth"
MT BARKER