Hormones & Endocrinology

ACTH is a hormone from the pituitary gland that controls cortisol production. Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays an important role in helping you to respond to stress, fight infection, and regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. The test is often done with a cortisol test to diagnose pituitary or adrenal gland disorders.

An AMH test checks a woman's ability to produce eggs that can be fertilized, known as the ovarian reserve. This test can also determine the reasons for menopause, amenorrhea, or lack of menstruation and help diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It can also help check infants with genitals not identified as male or female and monitor women with certain types of ovarian cancer.

Cortisol is a hormone made by your adrenal glands, two small glands that sit above the kidneys. It affects almost every organ and tissue in your body that help respond to stress, reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, or control blood pressure.

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that sit above your kidneys. It affects almost every organ and tissue in your body, helping respond to stress, reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and control blood pressure.

DHEAS plays an important role in making the male sex hormone testosterone and the female sex hormone estrogen. It’s also involved in the development of male sexual characteristics at puberty. DHEAS is mostly made in the adrenal glands. Smaller amounts of DHEAS are made in a man’s testicles and in a woman’s ovaries. Abnormal DHEAS levels may suggest a problem with your adrenal glands, testicles, or ovaries.

Estradiol, the most important form of the estrogen hormone, plays a vital role in sexual development. This test is used to determine the cause of entering puberty earlier or later than expected, evaluate the functioning of the ovaries, and monitor the progression of pregnancy or fertility treatment.

Testosterone is known as a "male" sex hormone, but females also have testosterone in smaller amounts. Testosterone causes body hair, muscle growth, and a deepening voice after puberty in males. It controls sex drive, maintains muscle mass, and helps make sperm. In females, testosterone is important for the growth of bones and muscles. A free testosterone levels test may be used with other tests to help diagnose early or delayed puberty.

FSH works closely with another hormone called LH to control sexual functions. In women, these tests are used to find the cause of infertility, assess ovarian function, find the reason for irregular or stopped menstrual periods, and confirm the start of menopause or perimenopause. In men, these tests are often used to find the cause of infertility, the reason for a low sperm count, or find a problem with the testicles. In children, these tests can help diagnose early or delayed puberty.

IGF-1 is a hormone that manages the effects of growth hormone (GH) in your body. Together, IGF-1 and GH promote the normal growth of bones and tissues. GH levels in the blood fluctuate depending on your diet and activity levels, but IGF-1 levels remain stable. So, an IGF-1 test is useful for determining if your body is making a normal amount of GH. The test helps diagnose growth disorders.

PTH is a hormone your parathyroid glands make, which helps control the calcium level in your blood. If calcium blood levels are too low, your parathyroid glands will release PTH to raise calcium levels. If calcium levels are too high, these glands will stop making PTH. This test helps diagnose hyperparathyroidism (too much PTH) and hypoparathyroidism (too little PTH), monitor kidney disease, and determine whether high calcium blood levels relate to parathyroid glands.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is synthesized and secreted by gonadotropes in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Along with the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), it is essential for proper reproductive function. In females, an acute rise of LH triggers ovulation, and in males, it stimulates Leydig cell production of testosterone. This test is usually used to find the cause of infertility or the reason for irregular or stopped menstrual periods.

Progesterone is a hormone made mainly by the ovaries. During a normal menstrual cycle, progesterone prepares your uterus for pregnancy. This test is useful for those having trouble getting pregnant, undergoing fertility treatment, or experiencing abnormal bleeding when not pregnant.

Prolactin is a hormone the pituitary gland produces that causes the breasts to grow and make milk during pregnancy and after birth. If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland that makes the gland produce too much prolactin. This test is most often used to diagnose a prolactinoma, to find the cause of a woman's menstrual irregularities and/or infertility, and to determine the reason for a man's low sex drive and/or erectile dysfunction.

SHBG is a protein that attaches to sex hormones in your blood. When the SHBG protein binds to sex hormones, your tissues can't use those hormones. Your tissues can only use free sex hormones that aren't attached to SHBG. The test is most often used to gather information about how testosterone is working in the body.

Testosterone is known as a "male" sex hormone, but females have testosterone in smaller amounts. In males, testosterone causes body hair, muscle growth, and a deepened voice after puberty. It controls sex drive, maintains muscle mass, and helps make sperm. In females, testosterone is important for the growth of bones and muscles. A testosterone levels test may be used with other tests to help diagnose early or delayed puberty.