The following is a list of what is included in the item above. Click the test(s) below to view what biomarkers are measured along with an explanation of what the biomarker is measuring.
Also known as: Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, DHEA SO4, DHEA Sulfate Immunoassay, DHEAS, Transdehydroandrosterone
DHEA SULFATE
DHEA-sulfate test measures the amount of DHEA-sulfate in the blood. DHEA-sulfate is a weak male hormone (androgen) produced by the adrenal gland in both men and women.
Estradiol
Estradiol (estradiol-17 beta, E2) is part of an estrogen that is a group of steroids that regulate the menstrual cycle and function as the main female sex hormones. Estrogens are responsible for the development of female sex organs and secondary sex characteristics and are tied to the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. They are considered the main sex hormones in women and are present in small quantities in men. Estradiol (E2) is the predominant form of estrogen and is produced primarily in the ovaries with additional amounts produced by the adrenal glands in women and in the testes and adrenal glands in men. Estradiol levels are used in evaluating ovarian function. Estradiol levels are increased in cases of early (precocious) puberty in girls and gynecomastia in men. Its main use has been in the differential diagnosis of amenorrhea – for example, to determine whether the cause is menopause, pregnancy, or a medical problem. In assisted reproductive technology (ART), serial measurements are used to monitor follicle development in the ovary in the days prior to in vitro fertilization. Estradiol is also sometimes used to monitor menopausal hormone replacement therapy.
Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein found inside cells that stores iron so your body can use it later. A ferritin test indirectly measures the amount of iron in your blood. The amount of ferritin in your blood (serum ferritin level) is directly related to the amount of iron stored in your body.
Also known as: Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone
Glucose
A blood glucose test measures the amount of a sugar called glucose in a sample of your blood. Glucose is a major source of energy for most cells of the body, including those in the brain. The hormones insulin and glucagon help control blood glucose levels.
Also known as: A1c, Glycated Hemoglobin, Glycohemoglobin, Glycosylated Hemoglobin, HA1c, HbA1c, Hemoglobin A1c, Hemoglobin A1c HgbA1C, Hgb A1c
Hemoglobin A1c
The A1c test evaluates the average amount of glucose in the blood over the last 2 to 3 months. It does this by measuring the concentration of glycated (also often called glycosylated) hemoglobin A1c.
Hemoglobin is an oxygen-transporting protein found inside red blood cells (RBCs). There are several types of normal hemoglobin, but the predominant form – about 95-98% – is hemoglobin A. As glucose circulates in the blood, some of it spontaneously binds to hemoglobin A. The hemoglobin molecules with attached glucose are called glycated hemoglobin. The higher the concentration of glucose in the blood, the more glycated hemoglobin is formed. Once the glucose binds to the hemoglobin, it remains there for the life of the red blood cell – normally about 120 days. The predominant form of glycated hemoglobin is referred to as HbA1c or A1c. A1c is produced on a daily basis and slowly cleared from the blood as older RBCs die and younger RBCs (with non-glycated hemoglobin) take their place.
This test is used to monitor treatment in someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes. It helps to evaluate how well their glucose levels have been controlled by treatment over time. This test may be used to screen for and diagnose diabetes or risk of developing diabetes. In 2010, clinical practice guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) stated that A1c may be added to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as an option for diabetes screening and diagnosis.
For monitoring purposes, an A1c of less than 7% indicates good glucose control and a lower risk of diabetic complications for the majority of diabetics. However, in 2012, the ADA and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) issued a position statement recommending that the management of glucose control in type 2 diabetes be more "patient-centered." Data from recent studies have shown that low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause complications and that people with risk of severe hypoglycemia, underlying health conditions, complications, and a limited life expectancy do not necessarily benefit from having a stringent goal of less than 7% for their A1c. The statement recommends that people work closely with their doctor to select a goal that reflects each person's individual health status and that balances risks and benefits.
Also known as: Iron and TIBC, Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity TIBC, TIBC
% Saturation
Iron Binding Capacity
Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) is a blood test to see if you may have too much or too little iron in the blood. Iron moves through the blood attached to a protein called transferrin. This test helps your doctor know how well that protein can carry iron in the blood.
Iron, Total
Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for many functions. For example, iron is part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. It helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron is also part of many other proteins and enzymes.
Your body needs the right amount of iron. If you have too little iron, you may develop iron deficiency anemia. Causes of low iron levels include blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods. People at higher risk of having too little iron are young children and women who are pregnant or have periods.
Also known as: Progesterone Immunoassay
Progesterone
Serum progesterone is a test to measure the amount of progesterone in the blood. Progesterone is a hormone produced mainly in the ovaries. In women, progesterone plays a vital role in pregnancy. After an egg is released by the ovaries (ovulation), progesterone helps make the uterus ready for implantation of a fertilized egg. It prepares the womb (uterus) for pregnancy and the breasts for milk production. Men produce some amount of progesterone, but it probably has no normal function except to help produce other steroid hormones.
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone produced by the anterior portion of the pituitary gland, a grape-sized organ found at the base of the brain. Prolactin secretion is regulated and inhibited by the brain chemical dopamine. Normally present in low amounts in men and non-pregnant women, prolactin's primary role is to promote lactation (breast milk production).
Prolactin levels are usually high throughout pregnancy and just after childbirth. During pregnancy, the hormones prolactin, estrogen, and progesterone stimulate breast milk development. Following childbirth, prolactin helps initiate and maintain the breast milk supply. If a woman does not breastfeed, her prolactin level soon drops back to pre-pregnancy levels. If she does nurse, suckling by the infant plays an important role in the release of prolactin. There is a feedback mechanism between how often the baby nurses and the amount of prolactin secreted by the pituitary as well as the amount of milk produced.
Another common cause of elevated prolactin levels is a prolactinoma, a prolactin-producing tumor of the pituitary gland. Prolactinomas are the most common type of pituitary tumor and are usually benign. They develop more frequently in women but are also found in men. Problems resulting from them can arise both from the unintended effects of excess prolactin, such as milk production in the non-pregnant woman (and rarely, man) and from the size and location of the tumor.
If the anterior pituitary gland and/or the tumor enlarge significantly, it can put pressure on the optic nerve, causing headaches and visual disturbances, and it can interfere with the other hormones that the pituitary gland produces. In women, prolactinomas can cause infertility and irregularities in menstruation; in men, these tumors can cause a gradual loss in sexual function and libido. If left untreated, prolactinomas may eventually damage the tissues around them.
Also known as: Reverse T3, Reverse Triiodothyronine, RT3, T3 Reverse RT3 LCMSMS, Triiodothyronine Reverse
T3 Reverse, LC/MS/MS
Reverse T3 produced in the thyroid comes from the conversion of the storage hormone T4. Your body, especially the liver, can constantly be converting T4 to RT3 as a way to get rid of any unneeded T4. In any given day approx. 40% of T4 goes to T3 and 20% of T4 goes to Reverse T3. However in any situation where your body needs to conserve energy and focus on something else, it will change the above percentages, changing the conversion of RT3 to 50% or more, and the T3 goes down, down. Examples are emotional, physical, or biological stress, such as being chronically or acutely sick (the flu, pneumonia, etc), after surgery, after a car accident or any acute injury, chronic stress causing high cortisol, being exposed to an extremely cold environment, diabetes, aging, or even being on drugs like beta blockers and amiodarone.
Also known as: Free T3, FT3, T3 Free
T3, Free
This test measures the amount of triiodothyronine, or T3, in the blood.
Also known as: Free T4, FT4, T4 Free
T4, Free
The free T4 test is not affected by protein levels. Since free T4 is the active form of thyroxine, the free T4 test is may be a more accurate reflection of thyroid hormone function.
Also known as: Testosterone Total And Free And Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
Free Testosterone
In many cases, measurement of total testosterone provides the doctor with adequate information. However, in certain cases, for example when the level of SHBG is abnormal, a test for free or bioavailable testosterone may be performed as it may more accurately reflect the presence of a medical condition.
Sex Hormone Binding
The sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) test measures the concentration of SHBG in the blood. SHBG is a protein that is produced by the liver and binds tightly to testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estradiol (an estrogen). In this bound state, it transports them in the blood as an inactive form. The amount of SHBG in circulation is affected by age and sex, by decreased or increased testosterone or estrogen production and can be affected by certain diseases and conditions such as liver disease, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and obesity. Changes in SHBG levels can affect the amount of testosterone that is available to be used by the body's tissues.
A total testosterone test does not distinguish between bound and unbound testosterone but determines the overall quantity of testosterone. If a person's SHBG level is not normal, then the total testosterone may not be an accurate representation of the amount of testosterone that is available to the person's tissues.
TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL,
A testosterone test measures the amount of the male hormone, testosterone, in the blood. Both men and women produce this hormone. In males, the testicles produce most of the testosterone in the body. Levels are most often checked to evaluate signs of low testosterone: In boys -- early or late puberty and in men -- impotence, low level of sexual interest, infertility, thinning of the bones
In females, the ovaries produce most of the testosterone and levels are most often checked to evaluate signs of higher testosterone levels, such as: decreased breast size, excess hair growth, increased size of the clitoris. irregular or absent menstrual periods and male-pattern baldness or hair thinning.
Thyroglobulin Antibodies
Measurement of thyroglobulin antibodies is useful in the diagnosis and management of a variety of thyroid disorders including Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves Disease and certain types of goiter.
Thyroid Peroxidase
Also known as: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test, Thyrotropin Test
TSH
A TSH test is a lab test that measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It tells the thyroid gland to make and release thyroid hormones into the blood.
Also known as: B12, B12 Vitamin, Cobalamin, Cyanocobalamin, Vitamin B12 Cobalamin
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is part of the B complex of vitamins and measurea the levels of vitamin B12 in the liquid portion of the blood, the serum or plasma, to detect deficiencies. Cobalamine, or vitamin B12, is found in animal products such as red meat, fish, poultry, milk, yogurt, and eggs and is not produced in the human body. In recent years, fortified cereals, breads, and other grain products have also become important dietary sources of B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for normal RBC formation, tissue and cellular repair, and DNA synthesis. B12 is important for nerve health. A deficiency in B12 can lead to macrocytic anemia. Megaloblastic anemia, a type of macrocytic anemia, is characterized by the production of fewer but larger RBCs called macrocytes, in addition to some cellular changes in the bone marrow. B12 deficiency can lead to varying degrees of neuropathy, nerve damage that can cause tingling and numbness in the affected person's hands and feet.
Also known as: ,25-Hydroxyvitamin D2, 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), 25-OH-D2,D3 Vitamin, D2 Vitamin,25-Hydroxyvitamin D3,25-OH-D3, QuestAssureD 25Hydroxyvitamin D D2 D3 LCMSMS, Vitamin D, Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy, Vitamin D2, 25-hydroxy,25-Hydroxyergocalciferol (25OHD2),Vitamin D3, 25-hydroxy
Vitamin D, 25-Oh, Total
Vitamin D comes from two sources: endogenous, which is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight, and exogenous, which is ingested in foods and supplements. The chemical structures of the types of vitamin D are slightly different, and they are named vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, which comes from plants) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, which comes from animals). The D2 form is found in fortified foods and in most vitamin preparations and supplements. Vitamin D3 is the form produced in the body and is also used in some supplements. Vitamin D2 and D3 are equally effective when they are converted by the liver and the kidney into the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
*Important Information on Lab Test Processing Times: Ulta Lab Tests is committed to informing you about the processing times for your lab tests processed through a national lab. Please note that the estimated processing time for each test, indicated in business days, is based on data from the past 30 days across the 13 laboratories for each test. These estimates are intended to serve as a guide and are not guarantees. Factors such as laboratory workload, weather conditions, holidays, and the need for additional testing or maintenance can influence actual processing times. We aim to offer estimates to help you plan accordingly. Please understand that these times may vary, and processing times are not guaranteed. Thank you for choosing Ulta Lab Tests for your laboratory needs.
The Cory Ruth - Comprehensive PCOS Panel panel contains 17 tests
with 23 biomarkers
.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal disorder that affects millions of women worldwide. Getting regular lab tests can help identify hormone imbalances, metabolic issues, and nutrient deficiencies associated with PCOS. By understanding these critical factors, you can work with your healthcare provider to create a personalized plan for managing symptoms and improving overall well-being. With the Cory Ruth - Comprehensive PCOS Panel, you gain comprehensive insights into your endocrine health, and by choosing Ulta Lab Tests, you also benefit from significant cost savings and a convenient testing experience.
Common PCOS Symptoms
- Irregular menstrual cycles (infrequent, prolonged, or unpredictable cycles)
- Excess hair growth (hirsutism), especially on the face, chest, or back
- Acne or oily skin
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Thinning hair on the head or hair loss
- Fatigue and low energy
- Mood changes (anxiety or depression)
Recognizing these symptoms is the first step toward getting the right tests and proper management.
Test Categories and Their Importance
1. Reproductive and Androgen Hormones
Balancing reproductive hormones is a key goal in PCOS management. Elevated or decreased levels can influence ovulation, fertility, and overall well-being.
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DHEA Sulfate (Immunoassay)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Assesses adrenal gland function, as DHEA-S is an androgen produced by the adrenal glands. Elevated levels can contribute to symptoms such as acne and excess hair growth.
- Monitoring: Helps evaluate adrenal-related androgen excess over time, allowing adjustments to treatment as needed.
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Estradiol
- Detection & Diagnosis: Estradiol is the primary form of estrogen in women. Abnormal levels may affect menstrual cycle regularity and fertility.
- Monitoring: Tracks changes in estrogen levels that could impact treatment approaches for cycle regulation.
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FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) and LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Evaluates ovarian function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In PCOS, an increased LH-to-FSH ratio (often LH is higher relative to FSH) is commonly observed.
- Monitoring: Guides fertility planning and helps in assessing whether treatments or lifestyle changes are improving ovulatory function.
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Progesterone (Immunoassay)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Progesterone levels are crucial to determine if ovulation has occurred. Low progesterone can suggest anovulation (lack of ovulation), common in PCOS.
- Monitoring: Confirms whether lifestyle or medical interventions support ovulatory cycles.
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Prolactin
- Detection & Diagnosis: High prolactin can lead to menstrual irregularities and anovulation. Elevated levels can mimic or worsen PCOS symptoms.
- Monitoring: Identifies persistent imbalances that may need treatment for restoring normal menstrual cycles.
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Testosterone, Total and Free, and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Elevated testosterone (total or free) is a hallmark of PCOS, leading to symptoms like hirsutism and acne. SHBG helps regulate free testosterone levels.
- Monitoring: Tracks androgen levels to gauge the effectiveness of treatments aimed at reducing excess male hormones.
2. Thyroid Function
Thyroid disorders can mimic or worsen PCOS symptoms. A comprehensive thyroid evaluation helps distinguish PCOS from thyroid-related issues.
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TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Screens for hypo- or hyperthyroidism, which can cause menstrual irregularities and weight changes.
- Monitoring: Determines if thyroid levels are properly managed with medication or lifestyle modifications.
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T4, Free
- Detection & Diagnosis: Measures the level of the unbound and active form of thyroxine. Low or high Free T4 can impact metabolic rate and menstrual cycles.
- Monitoring: Guides therapy adjustments, ensuring optimal thyroid balance.
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T3, Free
- Detection & Diagnosis: Evaluates the active form of triiodothyronine for better insight into how your thyroid is functioning.
- Monitoring: Tracks improvements or declines in thyroid function, assisting in refining treatment.
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T3 Reverse (RT3), LC/MS/MS
- Detection & Diagnosis: Identifies if the body is converting T4 into reverse T3 (an inactive form), which can cause hypothyroid-like symptoms even with normal T4/T3 labs.
- Monitoring: Helps in optimizing thyroid therapy by ensuring proper hormone conversion.
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Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies
- Detection & Diagnosis: High antibody levels indicate autoimmune thyroid disorders (like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), which can overlap with or exacerbate PCOS symptoms.
- Monitoring: Tracks autoimmune activity to guide long-term management strategies.
3. Glycemic Control
Insulin resistance is common in PCOS and plays a significant role in metabolic complications.
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Glucose
- Detection & Diagnosis: Evaluates fasting blood sugar levels. Elevated levels can indicate insulin resistance or prediabetes.
- Monitoring: Essential for assessing blood sugar control and the effectiveness of dietary or medication interventions.
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Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1C)
- Detection & Diagnosis: Reflects average blood sugar control over the past two to three months. Elevated values suggest prediabetes or diabetes risk.
- Monitoring: Helps you and your healthcare provider gauge the long-term success of lifestyle or pharmacological strategies.
4. Iron and Ferritin (Iron Storage)
Optimal iron levels are critical, as abnormal iron status can complicate fatigue and other PCOS-like symptoms.
5. Nutrient Markers
Many individuals with PCOS also struggle with nutrient deficiencies that can impact hormonal balance and overall health.
Relation to the Endocrine Panel
These tests collectively form a robust endocrine panel, offering a detailed overview of hormone health, metabolic status, and nutrient levels. By interpreting these results together, healthcare providers can detect, diagnose, and monitor PCOS and related complications more accurately, tailoring treatments to your unique hormonal landscape.
Conclusion
Regular lab testing is a cornerstone of effective PCOS management, helping you identify hidden imbalances, track treatment progress, and make informed decisions. The Cory Ruth - Comprehensive PCOS Panel offers a comprehensive look at the key hormones, nutrients, and metabolic markers essential for navigating this condition successfully.
When you choose Ulta Lab Tests, you’ll benefit from:
- Significant savings with transparent, affordable pricing
- Convenient testing at partner labs nationwide
- Fast, confidential results accessible online
- No insurance needed and no hidden fees
Take advantage of these features and gain the insights you need to take control of your PCOS journey—ultimately improving your health and well-being.
