Hormone #2 Essential Blood Test Panel, Men

Andropause panel includes:

Testosterone, Total and Free  Testosterone is a hormone that causes male characteristics. The blood level is used by men to investigate abnormal sexual development and sexual dysfunction. Small amounts are produced in women's ovaries and levels are tested to evaluate virilization. The concentration of free testosterone is very low, typically <2% of the total testosterone concentration. In most men and women, >50% of total circulating testosterone is bound to sex hormone-binding globulin, SHBG, and most of the rest is bound to albumin.1 Routinely available assay methods used to measure total testosterone are not sensitive enough to accurately quantitate the free testosterone fraction directly. Free testosterone is estimated in this test by a direct, analogue radioimmunoassay method. This assay uses a labeled testosterone analogue that has a low binding affinity for both SHBG and albumin but is bound by antitestosterone antibody used in the assay. Since the analogue is unbound in the plasma, it competes with free testosterone for binding sites on an antitestosterone antibody that is immobilized on the surface of the polypropylene tube.

Insulin A hormone that is produced and stored in the beta cells of the pancreas. Digested food breaks down into basic components such as glucose, a main source of energy for the body. Insulin is vital for the transportation and storage of glucose at the cellular level; it helps regulate blood glucose levels and has a role in lipid metabolism. When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, insulin is released to allow glucose to move into tissue cells, especially muscle and adipose (fat) cells, where is it is used for energy production. Insulin then prompts the liver to either store the remaining excess blood glucose as glycogen (for short-term energy storage) and/or to use it to produce fatty acids. These are eventually used by fat cells (adipose tissue) to synthesize triglycerides to form the basis of a longer term, more concentrated form of energy storage. Without insulin, glucose cannot reach most of the bodys cells.

Estradiol There are three main estrogen fractions: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Estradiol (E2) is produced in men in the testes and adrenal glands. 

FSH and LH Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is made by the pituitary gland in the brain. Control of FSH production is a complex system involving hormones produced by the gonads (testes), the pituitary, and the hypothalamus.  Both estradiol and progesterone help the pituitary control the amount of FSH produced.  In men, FSH stimulates the testes to produce mature sperm and also promotes the production of androgen binding proteins. FSH levels are relatively constant in males after puberty. Luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. Testosterone provides negative feedback to the pituitary and the hypothalamus, helping to regulate the amount of LH secreted.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is used to diagnose a thyroid disorder in a person with symptoms, screen newborns for an underactive thyroid, and monitor thyroid replacement therapy in people with hypothyroidism, help evaluate the function of the pituitary gland (occasionally), and screen adults for thyroid disorders

DHEA,S Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is an androgen, a male sex hormone that is present in the blood of both men and women. It has a role to play in developing male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty, and it can be metabolized by the body into more potent androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione, or can be changed into the female hormone estrogen. DHEAS is produced by the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts being produced by  women's ovaries and men's testes. DHEAS secretion is controlled by the pituitary hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and by other pituitary factors. Since DHEAS is primarily produced by the adrenal glands, it is useful as a marker for adrenal function. Adrenal tumors, cancers, and hyperplasia can lead to the overproduction of DHEAS. While elevated levels may not be noticed in adult men, they can lead to amenorrhea and visible symptoms of virilization.

Free T4 is the active form of thyroxine and it is thought by many to be a more accurate reflection of thyroid hormone function.

Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) -Somatomedin-C (SC) is produced in the liver in response to stimulation by growth hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. This insulin-like growth factor level is used to evaluate disturbances of growth and to monitor treatment with growth hormones.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate and released in very small amounts into the bloodstream. When theres a problem with the prostate, such as when prostate cancer develops and grows, more and more PSA is released, until it reaches a level where it can be easily detected in the blood. Doctors must try to both detect prostate cancer and to differentiate between slow-growing cases and prostate cancers that may grow aggressively and spread to other parts of the body.