Hormone TestingMar 23, 2026
Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone, controlling everything from blood sugar regulation to immune function to circadian rhythms. But cortisol levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the day, making a single measurement potentially misleading. A cortisol level of 15 µg/dL might indicate severe adrenal insufficiency at 8 AM or completely normal function at 8 PM. Understanding when and how to test cortisol properly can reveal adrenal dysfunction, chronic stress states, and hormone imbalances that standard testing approaches miss entirely.
Thyroid HealthMar 23, 2026
Most doctors check TSH at annual physicals and call thyroid function normal if it falls within the broad reference range of 0.4-4.0 mIU/L. But TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. It reflects what the pituitary thinks the thyroid should be doing, not necessarily what the thyroid is actually accomplishing. Millions of people have thyroid symptoms with normal TSH because they have central hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone conversion problems, or early autoimmune thyroid disease that TSH screening misses entirely.
Men's HealthMar 23, 2026
Most men get a single testosterone reading at their annual physical. If the number falls within the lab's broad reference range of 264-916 ng/dL, they're told their levels are normal. But this range was designed for population screening, not individual health optimization. The same testosterone level that supports robust energy and sexual function at age 25 may leave a 45-year-old feeling chronically fatigued with diminished libido. Understanding when and how to test testosterone properly can reveal deficiencies that standard screening approaches miss entirely.
