Saliva Testing
Saliva testing is a convenient, inexpensive, and above all, accurate means of testing steroid hormones. Scientific studies have shown a strong correlation between steroid hormone levels in saliva and the amount of hormone in the blood that is active or “bioavailable.” It is this fraction of total hormone that is free to enter the target tissues in the brain, uterus, skin, and breasts.
Saliva testing can be done anywhere anytime. Testing that relies on blood drawn in the doctor’s office makes it harder to obtain samples at specific times (such as in the early morning) or multiple times during the day. In addition, hormones in saliva are exceptionally stable and can be stored at room temperature for up to a week without affecting the accuracy of the result. This offers maximum flexibility in sample collection and shipment.
Hormones tested in the saliva profiles include:

• Estradiol
• Progesterone
• Testosterone
• DHEA
• Cortisol

Copyright © 2006, ZRT Laboratory, LLC. Used with permission.

Blood Spot Testing
Blood Spot testing is the future of blood testing. The process requires only whole capillary blood from a nearly painless finger prick and several tests can be run from a single sample. Blood spot testing provides results on a par with those from serum tests but without the cost and inconvenience of conventional blood drawing. In addition, collection times can be optimized for fasting baseline hormone levels and assessment of HRT dosing and diurnal hormone testing.
Tests offered in the Blood Spot Profiles include:

• Thyroxine (T4), free
• Triiodothyronine (T3), free
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)
• Testosterone, total
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
• Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)
• Estradiol (E2)
• Progesterone (Pg)

Copyright © 2006, ZRT Laboratory, LLC. Used with permission.

The Comprehensive Hormone Profile
Putting saliva and blood spot test materials together in one combination kit makes it convenient to collect hormones of the three major glandular systems--reproductive, thyroid, and adrenal--on the same day at the optimal time.
The Comprehensive Profile is recommended for men and women with signs and/or symptoms of menopause, andropause, adrenal and thyroid dysfunction.

Tests include:

In saliva: Estradiol (E2), Progesterone (Pg), Testosterone (T), DHEA, and the four diurnal Cortisols.

In bloodspot: free T3, free T4, TSH and TPO antibodies

Copyright © 2006, ZRT Laboratory, LLC. Used with permission.