Blood tests measure only the protein-bound hormones not the free, bioavailable (active) hormones - Hormones, such as the estrogens and PROGESTERONE are fat soluble, i.e. not dissolvable in water, and must be attached to a protein to be transported in the blood to the appropriate organ.
Many hormones are secreted in a pulsatile fashion. Causes blood levels fluctuate;
Conventional medicine persists in using serum tests rather than urine or saliva tests - since results are incorrectly low, physicians are apt to greatly over-dose their patients, resulting in success rates usually < 30%.
Transdermally absorbed hormones are biologically active (not protein bound) and show up in the mucins of saliva. Therefore saliva hormone radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a relevant and convenient way to measure how much transdermal, free estrogen, PROGESTERONE , TESTOSTERONE, DHEA and other fat soluble hormones are actually available to carry messages to other organs. Women experiencing perimenopausal symptoms will almost always have salivary hormone levels that reflect a PROGESTERONE deficiency, estrogen excess or both.
What are normal saliva levels for hormones?
You can order saliva tests to determine your hormone levels online at John R. Lee. M.D.
A 24 hour urine test is the most accurate testing method for hormone levels - advocated by Dr. Jonothon Wright, who along with Dr. Lee, is considered a pioneer in introducing bioidentical hormone therapy in the U.S..
| E.g. Progesterone has 2 forms in the blood | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Where | Solubility | Bioavailability | Comment |
|
Protein-Bound CBG (43-48%) Albumin (50-54%) |
Serum (10%) (watery, non-cellular part) |
Water-soluble |
10% |
Being water-soluble, the protein-bound hormones pass through the kidneys and are excreted in the urine. |
|
"Free" (2-3%) |
RBCs, Fat cells, uterus, brain, saliva |
Fat-soluble |
90% |
|
