Saliva Testing for Hormones

Hormones play a critical role in maintenance of health and our sense of well being, as well as in certain disease processes. Therefore it may be important to know if there are any hormonal imbalances that may be affecting your health. Also, testing is important to monitor the treatment prescribed by your doctor, to make sure the treatment is having the desired effect, and to prevent abnormal hormone levels.

After hormones are made in the various glands, they are secreted into the blood stream where they bind to certain protein “carriers.” Only a small fraction (1-5%) of a given amount of steroid hormone breaks loose from the carrier protein in the bloodstream and is free to enter target tissues to exert its effect. This free or unbound hormone is what we want to measure, since it is active or bioavailable to the target tissue. Some hormones, such as thyroid, are very tightly bound to the carrier protein, while other hormones are less strongly bound.

Many studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between the levels of steroid hormones in saliva and the bioavailable (free) levels of steroids in the bloodstream. The amount of steroid hormone that enters the salivary ducts and then the saliva is representative of the fraction of steroids in the bloodstream that is bioavailable. In fact, one study showed that, after administration of progesterone and estrogen cream, breast tissue (target tissue) levels of the hormones increased significantly, saliva levels increased, but the was no change in the blood levels!

Compared to blood testing, saliva testing is painless, convenient, and easy. In addition, saliva testing can be more easily timed to obtain samples at critical times of the day to get more accurate results than with blood testing. Also saliva testing much more easily allows multiple samples to be taken either during the day or over the course of a month.

Hormones in saliva are exceptionally stable, allowing wide latitude in collection and shipment. Samples can be stored at room temperature for at least a week without loss of activity, so samples can be shipped to the testing facility by regular mail. Blood, on the other hand, must be kept cool on ice packs, increasing costs for shipping as well as the likelihood of error due to improper handling.

Most insurance plans do not pay for the cost of saliva testing. But the cost generally is reasonable, especially considering the potentially positive benefits for your health. Some labs that do saliva testing may submit the bill to your insurance company or give you a form that you may submit yourself.

For more information on saliva testing, check the following resources:
http://www.salivatest.com/store/testing.html
http://www.diagnostechs.com/main.htm