Low Testosterone Test
Dr. Richard Cohen
When deciding upon a low testosterone test, you can choose between saliva, blood or urine in order to evaluate if you have normal testosterone levels.
Let’s look at which testosterone test you should choose.
Salivary low testosterone testing.
The saliva testosterone test should be your first option to evaluate if you have normal testosterone levels.
It is a convenient, inexpensive, non-invasive and reliable method of assessing your testosterone status.
In addition, the
saliva low testosterone test allows for multiple collections throughout the day allowing for increased accuracy and the ability to monitor the natural testosterone daily rhythm.
Here are some additional benefits:
Saliva measures the "unbound" biologically active or free hormone levels in the body.
When blood is filtered through the salivary glands, the bound hormone components are too large to pass through the cell membranes of the salivary glands.
Only the unbound hormones pass through and into the saliva. What is measured in the saliva is considered the "free", or bioavailable hormone, that which will be delivered to the receptors in the tissues of the body.
Serum, on the other hand, measures the "protein bound" biologically inactive hormone levels in the body.In order for steroid hormones to be detected in serum, they must be bound to circulating proteins. In this bound state, they are unable to fit into receptors in the body, and therefore will not be delivered to tissues. They are considered inactive, or non-bioavailable.
Only saliva testing measures topically dosed hormones:The discrepancy between free and protein bound hormones becomes especially important when monitoring topical, or transdermal, hormone therapy.
Studies show that this method of delivery results in increased tissue hormone levels (thus measurable in saliva), but no parallel increase in serum levels. Therefore, serum testing cannot be used to monitor topical hormone therapy.
Blood testosterone testing.
While the saliva testosterone test is the preferred method, serum assessment still remains the most common testosterone test.
A serum low testosterone test is preferred when: 1: Using a troche or sublingual (dissolved under the tongue) hormones.
Use of these particular oral supplements can cause false high saliva testing results due to high concentrations of hormone in the oral mucosa for several days following your last dosage.
Blood spot testing allows people who use these oral supplements to continue taking their hormones while testing.
2: You cannot create enough saliva.
For those who have dry mouth conditions such as Sjogren’s Syndrome or who otherwise have difficulty collecting enough saliva for testing.
3: When you want to measure other hormonally-related factors such as thyroid, SHBG, and prolactin that are not possible to be assessed via saliva.
Urine testosterone testing.
Urinary hormone analysis represents an average of hormone levels over an entire day, as compared to the “snapshot” of levels seen in a single blood or saliva sample.
A urine testosterone test is preferred when a more comprehensive evaluation of testosterone physiology is desired.
The urine low testosterone test will reveal potential excesses or deficiencies of the primary androgens DHEA and testosterone...
This provides information about the extent of conversion of testosterone to 5α-DHT, the most potent androgen, through the action of 5α-reductase.
In addition, urine testing can effectively evaluate the effect of adrenal health and stress on normal testosterone levels.
In conclusion, the saliva test is the most affordable, convenient test to take...
And it provides you with the most important number you need to know, your bioavailable, free testosterone levels.
Get Your Saliva Tested Here.