CBC With Differential / Platelet
What it is: A Complete Blood Count evaluating your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets — the fundamental building blocks of blood health.
Why we test for it: Hormone therapy, stress, and nutrient deficiencies all show up in your blood counts. This ensures your blood is healthy for optimal hormone absorption and flags anemia, infection risk, or clotting concerns.
If levels are off, you may experience: Chronic fatigue, weakness, frequent illness, easy bruising, dizziness, shortness of breath, and prolonged bleeding.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (14)
What it is: A 14-test panel evaluating kidney function, liver function, blood sugar, electrolyte balance, and protein levels.
Why we test for it: Your liver processes hormones. Your kidneys filter everything. If either is compromised, hormone therapy won't work properly — and could be harmful. This ensures your foundation is solid before and during treatment.
If levels are off, you may experience: Swelling, nausea, fatigue, high blood pressure, jaundice, confusion, muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and excessive thirst.
Cortisol
What it is: Your primary stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisol regulates your stress response, metabolism, immune function, and blood sugar.
Why we test for it: Chronically elevated or depleted cortisol is one of the most overlooked causes of hormonal dysfunction. High cortisol blocks testosterone and progesterone. Low cortisol leaves you exhausted — and must be optimized for any hormone plan to succeed.
If levels are off, you may experience: Adrenal fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, belly fat accumulation, brain fog, sugar cravings, low immunity, and burnout.
DHEA Serum
What it is: Dehydroepiandrosterone — a master hormone produced by the adrenal glands and a precursor to testosterone and estrogen.
Why we test for it: Often called the "youth hormone," DHEA peaks in your 20s and declines steadily with age. Low DHEA is linked to rapid aging, muscle loss, depression, and low libido.
If levels are off, you may experience: Depression, loss of muscle mass, decreased libido, joint pain, poor memory, dry skin, and accelerated aging.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
What it is: A potent form of testosterone converted by the 5-alpha reductase enzyme. DHT plays a role in libido, body composition, and male characteristics.
Why we test for it: DHT helps fine-tune testosterone therapy. Too high can accelerate hair loss or prostate enlargement; too low and you may see reduced libido and energy even with normal testosterone.
If levels are off, you may experience: Hair thinning or loss, low sex drive, prostate issues, mood instability, and reduced vitality.
Estradiol (E2)
What it is: The primary form of estrogen — critical for both women AND men. In women it governs the menstrual cycle, bone density, and mood. In men it balances testosterone and protects the heart and brain.
Why we test for it: Estrogen imbalance is at the root of some of the most common complaints we hear — in both sexes. Too high in men causes emotional instability. Too low in women causes hot flashes and bone loss. Balance is everything.
If levels are off, you may experience: Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, erectile dysfunction, bone loss, vaginal dryness, water retention, gynecomastia, and severe PMS.
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
What it is: A pituitary hormone that stimulates ovarian follicle growth in women and sperm production in men.
Why we test for it: FSH tells us how hard your pituitary is working to stimulate your gonads. Elevated FSH can signal menopause onset or testicular failure — a critical marker for understanding the root cause of hormonal decline.
If levels are off, you may experience: Infertility, irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, early menopause symptoms, low testosterone, and reproductive challenges.
Hemoglobin A1C
What it is: A 3-month average of your blood sugar levels — the gold standard for detecting pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Why we test for it: Blood sugar dysregulation silently sabotages hormone balance, weight management, energy, and sexual function. You can have dangerously elevated A1C with zero symptoms. Catching it early is life-changing.
If levels are off, you may experience: Fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, stubborn belly fat, blurry vision, frequent urination, slow wound healing, nerve tingling, and elevated heart disease risk.
IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor)
What it is: A hormone produced by the liver in response to growth hormone. IGF-1 is the best clinical marker for assessing your growth hormone status.
Why we test for it: IGF-1 drives muscle growth, fat metabolism, cellular repair, and anti-aging. After age 30 levels drop steadily. Low IGF-1 means lost lean muscle, increased body fat, and accelerated aging. Key for peptide therapy candidates.
If levels are off, you may experience: Muscle loss, increased abdominal fat, slow workout recovery, poor sleep, low energy, and accelerated aging.
Insulin (Fasting)
What it is: The hormone produced by your pancreas that regulates blood sugar by allowing cells to absorb glucose for energy.
Why we test for it: Fasting insulin is more sensitive than blood sugar alone for detecting insulin resistance — the metabolic root cause of weight gain, fatigue, hormonal disruption, and type 2 diabetes. Many people have it years before blood sugar becomes "officially" elevated.
If levels are off, you may experience: Difficulty losing weight, carb cravings, energy crashes after meals, brain fog, dark skin patches, high blood pressure, and PCOS.
Lipid Panel (Cholesterol)
What it is: Measures total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides — the key indicators of cardiovascular health.
Why we test for it: Hormones are literally MADE from cholesterol. Testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol all derive from it. Lipid imbalances signal cardiovascular risk and directly impact how well your body produces and uses hormones.
If levels are off, you may experience: Increased heart attack and stroke risk, low energy, poor circulation, erectile dysfunction, and fatty skin deposits.
LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
What it is: A pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation in women and stimulates testosterone production in men.
Why we test for it: LH alongside FSH reveals whether hormonal problems originate in the brain or the gonads. This distinction is essential for designing the right treatment and preserving natural hormone production during therapy.
If levels are off, you may experience: Absent or irregular periods, ovulation failure, infertility, low testosterone, decreased libido, and unexplained fatigue.
Progesterone
What it is: A sex hormone that balances estrogen, supports the nervous system, and promotes restful sleep.
Why we test for it: Progesterone deficiency — "estrogen dominance" — is extraordinarily common in women over 35. Low progesterone is a leading cause of anxiety, insomnia, irregular periods, and difficulty getting pregnant. Also critical for men countering excess estrogen.
If levels are off, you may experience: Insomnia, anxiety, irregular or heavy periods, PMS, miscarriage risk, water retention, mood swings, and fibrocystic breasts.
PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
What it is: A protein produced by the prostate gland. PSA is the primary screening tool for prostate health and early cancer detection.
Why we test for it: Any man on testosterone therapy must have baseline and ongoing PSA monitoring. Testosterone does not cause prostate cancer, but can accelerate existing issues. Catching elevated PSA early can be life-saving. This test is non-negotiable for men.
If levels are off, you may experience: Difficulty urinating, frequent nighttime urination, weak urine stream, and pelvic discomfort. Early stages are often completely symptom-free.
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
What it is: A protein produced by the liver that binds to sex hormones, rendering them inactive in the bloodstream.
Why we test for it: You can have "normal" total testosterone but feel terrible if SHBG is too high — it's binding all your testosterone, leaving none available to your cells. This is why free testosterone matters more than total testosterone. Without SHBG, your hormone picture is incomplete.
If levels are off, you may experience: Low libido despite "normal" labs, fatigue, depression, difficulty building muscle, brain fog, and poor response to hormone therapy.
T3 RIA + TSH (Thyroid Combo)
What it is: Measures T3 (active thyroid hormone) and TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) — the control signal for your thyroid system.
Why we test for it: The thyroid is the master regulator of metabolism. Most conventional doctors only test TSH — missing the full picture. We test both to ensure your thyroid is producing adequate active hormone. Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions in medicine.
If levels are off, you may experience: Weight changes, hair thinning, cold intolerance, constipation or diarrhea, heart palpitations, depression, fatigue, dry skin, and cognitive slowing.
Testosterone, Free + Total (LC/MS)
What it is: Measured via gold-standard LC/MS — the most accurate testosterone measurement available. We test both total and free (bioavailable) testosterone.
Why we test for it: Testosterone is the cornerstone of vitality for both men and women. Low testosterone is responsible for more symptoms than most people realize and is vastly underdiagnosed — especially in women. LC/MS precision gives actionable data basic tests cannot match.
If levels are off, you may experience: Low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, depression, muscle loss, increased body fat, irritability, brain fog, poor sleep, reduced bone density, and lost motivation.
Free T3 (Triiodothyronine)
What it is: The active, free form of thyroid hormone — what your cells actually use to regulate energy, metabolism, temperature, and mood.
Why we test for it: Many patients with normal TSH still feel terrible because they're not converting T4 to active T3. Free T3 is the most direct measure of actual thyroid function at the cellular level — without it, your metabolic picture is incomplete.
If levels are off, you may experience: Chronic fatigue, inability to lose weight, always feeling cold, constipation, brain fog, depression, hair loss, and brittle nails.
TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
What it is: A pituitary hormone that signals the thyroid to produce T3 and T4 — the primary control signal for your entire thyroid system.
Why we test for it: Elevated TSH means your pituitary is working overtime to get a sluggish thyroid to respond — a hallmark of hypothyroidism. Suppressed TSH may indicate hyperthyroidism. Combined with Free T3, it gives a complete thyroid picture.
If levels are off, you may experience: Weight changes, mood disorders, heart rhythm irregularities, fatigue, temperature sensitivity, bowel problems, and menstrual disruption.
Vitamin B12
What it is: An essential vitamin critical for nerve function, red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and neurological health.
Why we test for it: B12 deficiency is remarkably common and frequently mistaken for depression, dementia, or neuropathy. It's directly tied to energy production and hormonal signaling. Many people on common medications (metformin, PPIs) are silently depleting their B12 stores.
If levels are off, you may experience: Numbness and tingling in hands and feet, fatigue, memory loss, mood changes, anemia, balance issues, depression, and cognitive decline.
Vitamin D (25-Hydroxy)
What it is: The storage form of Vitamin D — the most accurate measure of your body's true Vitamin D status. Vitamin D functions more like a hormone than a vitamin, affecting virtually every cell in your body.
Why we test for it: Vitamin D deficiency affects an estimated 42% of American adults and is directly linked to low testosterone, depression, immune dysfunction, bone loss, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk. Optimal Vitamin D is foundational to all hormone optimization.
If levels are off, you may experience: Fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, depression, frequent infections, hair loss, back pain, impaired wound healing, and significantly reduced testosterone levels.