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 Saliva

Hormones we test in saliva include:      Estradiol (E2) Estrone (E1) Estriol (E3) Progesterone (pg) Testosterone (T) DHEA-S (Ds) Cortisol (C)

Reference and supplementation ranges:  - Saliva Reference Ranges - Observed Salivary Supplementation Ranges - ZRT Reference Range Determination

Profiles in Saliva

Profiles we offer in saliva include:

• Female/Male Saliva Profile I
  (E2, Pg, T, DS, & C)
• Female/Male Saliva Profile II
  (E2, Pg, T, DS, & C x 2)
• Female/Male Saliva Profile III
  (E2, Pg, T, DS, & C x 4)

Compare Saliva and Blood Spot

The following table compares which tests are done in saliva and/or blood spot.

Hormone or Analyte	Saliva	Blood Spot
Estradiol (E2)
Progesterone (Pg)
Testosterone, free
Testosterone, total
DHEA-S (DS)
Cortisol, AM (C1)
Cortisol, Diurnal (C1, C2, C3, C4)
Estriol (E3)
Estrone (E1)
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)
Insulin, fasting
Triglycerides (TG)
Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)
High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
Total Cholesterol (CH)
LDL Cholesterol
HDL Cholesterol
VLDL Cholesterol
Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO)
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
Triiodothyronine (T3), free
Thyroxine (T4), free
25-hydroxy vitamin D2
25-hydroxy vitamin D3