Saliva Hormone Testing

Restore uses saliva testing to measure estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol to identify hormone imbalances and monitor hormone levels during individualized hormone replacement therapies.

Why Test Your Hormones with Saliva?

The majority of steroid hormones in the blood, as much as 95‐99%, have already been used by the body and are bound to carrier proteins such as cortisol binding globulin (CBG), sex‐hormones binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. In this bound form, these hormones are biologically unavailable, leaving only the smaller percentage (1‐5%) of unbound or free hormones available to bind to the body’s steroid receptors and elicit biochemical effects. Unbound hormone levels have been observed to correlate closely to patient‐reported symptoms, making the precise and timely knowledge of free hormone levels highly desirable in many clinical situations, including hormone replacement therapies (HRT). Measuring unbound hormone levels in blood, however, is both costly and technically difficult. Fortunately, unbound hormones diffuse easily into tissue and can be detected in saliva, making saliva testing an accurate and convenient way to test steroid hormone levels. Restore has developed a series of sensitive assays that allow the analysis of these unbound steroid hormones in saliva.

Other Advantages of Saliva Hormone Testing:

Saliva testing is less expensive compared to other testing methods
Saliva collection is a simple and non‐invasive process
Patients can collect their saliva samples in the privacy of their own home
Hormone levels can be measured during hormone replacement and supplementation therapies, including topically applied creams and gels
The convenience of collection allows for more‐frequent sampling, aiding testing of cortisol levels and for fertility issues
Collected samples remain stable for several weeks and can be delivered through the mail
without refrigeration

Clinical Support for Bioidentical Hormone Therapy

Having performed salivary hormone tests on tens of thousands of patients over more than a decade, Restore clinicians have compiled significant data on salivary hormone levels, reported symptoms, and recommended dosing and titration for hormone replacement therapy. Test results always include patient‐reported symptoms and health histories and are available with or without expert case history management and dosing and titration recommendations from a certified Clinical Services staff member.

What Levels Should You Test?

For Women

Estradiol and Progesterone testing is recommended for all women. Estradiol and Progesterone are the primary female hormones. If they are not in balance women may have symptoms of hot flashes/night sweats, water retention, breast tenderness, mood swings and other mood-related symptoms, loss of bone mineral density, among other issues.

Testosterone testing is recommended if you have symptoms of lack of libido (sex drive), anxiety, muscle weakness, fatigue, lack of energy or depression. Also consider testing your Testosterone level if you are concerned about or have loss of bone mineral density.

DHEA and Cortisol testing is recommended if you are concerned about how your body is handling stress as these two hormones are important in how you manage both physical and mental stress.

NTx testing is recommended if you are concerned about loss of bone mineral density. NTx testing tells you whether your current rate of bone turnover is normal, elevated or high and is a valuable tool in measuring the effectiveness of hormone therapy and self-care measures in preserving bone health.

For Men

Testosterone , DHT and Estradiol testing is recommended for all men. Testosterone is the primary male hormone; however, men also produce and utilize small amounts of estrogens such as Estradiol. The balance between Testosterone and Estradiol effects how men feel and function. DHT is derived from Testosterone and affects the prostate gland.