HealthCheckUSA has hormone lab tests and packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without their doctor.

Diurnal Cortisol plus DHEA-S Adrenal Function Saliva Tests from ZRT Labs
HealthCheckUSA has partnered with ZRT Labs to deliver saliva testing at affordable prices. The Diurnal Cortisol (C1, C2, C3, C4) and DHEA-S saliva tests are recommended with situational stress and fatigue; an indicator of adrenal hormone imbalance.

Adrenal Function Saliva Tests Included:
- Dirunal Cortisol, Includes Saliva tests from ZRT labs for morning, noon, evening and nighttime Cortisol
- DHEA-S

The Problem
People in today’s society tend to lead frenetic, unbalanced lifestyles. Commonly, individuals experience continuous stress, not only from emotional stressors (e.g. marital, financial, and occupational) but also from physical stressors (e.g. sleep deprivation, caffeine consumption, pain, extreme exercise) without adequate recovery. Chronic exposure to these stressors often causes elevations in adrenal hormone levels, leading to disorders ranging from anxiety to infertility. While many individuals are able to cope, the adrenal glands may, over time, start to have an impaired response to stressors, which reduces adrenal hormone output. The resulting adrenal insufficiency, also known as “adrenal burnout” or “adrenal fatigue,” may present with a constellation of symptoms from chronic fatigue to allergies.

While everyone is potentially at risk, the problem is more prevalent among people with high-stress professions (e.g. medical professionals, police officers, executives and teachers).

Symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction

Adrenal Function and Cortisol
Cortisol has a wide range of effects on mind and body and interacts with the reproductive, thyroid and immunological systems. As part of the response to stress, it prepares the body for “fight or flight” and in doing so it can suppress the production of other hormones. This temporarily shuts down processes that would otherwise divert the body’s resources away from its more immediate requirement to respond to the stressor, including processes involved with reproduction and some immune functions. Because of these effects, when cortisol levels remain chronically high, this suppression of other processes is maintained for longer than normal and this can result in susceptibility to infection, hypothyroidism, bone loss, and low libido. On the other hand, lower than normal cortisol levels are associated with decreasing attention span, fatigue, and blood sugar imbalances. Since both high and low cortisol levels are associated with multiple symptoms, cortisol testing often provides the answers to complicated health situations, which have led patients to visit multiple physicians without success. Successful diagnosis and treatment of the underlying problem improves patient symptoms, and cortisol testing provides an objective measurement of response to treatment.

Saliva Cortisol and DHEA-S Adrenal Function Testing
Salivary cortisol and DHEA-S testing is an established method for the diagnosis of Cushing’s Disease (hypercortisolism) and preferred over serum or urine testing because of its reliability, non-invasiveness and convenience of sampling. In research on HPA axis function, salivary cortisol is also preferred to serum measurements as a reliable indicator of adrenal status because it represents the free, bioavailable hormone levels, excluding the cortisol-binding globulin (CBG)-bound hormone that circulates in the blood but does not pass into saliva.

Diurnal Patterns of Cortisol Production
Cortisol production is normally at its highest upon waking and declines steadily during the day, reaching its lowest point at bedtime. Examples
of some patterns that can be seen in various types of adrenal dysfunction are shown below, against a shaded area showing the normal range
at each point during the day.

DHEA, mostly found in the circulation in its conjugated form, DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S), is a hormone produced by the adrenal
glands, and levels generally reflect adrenal gland function. It is a precursor for the production of estrogens and testosterone,
and is therefore normally present in greater quantities than all the other steroid hormones. Its production is highest in the late
teens to early 20s, and declines gradually with age. Like cortisol, it is involved with immune function and a balance between
the two is essential. Low DHEA can result in reduced libido and general malaise, while high DHEA can have masculinizing
effects on women because it metabolizes to androgens, including testosterone. Because of its conversion to estrogens and
androgens, it is important to monitor levels of these hormones, as well as levels of DHEA, during supplementation8.

Additional Blood Testing Panels for Women
- Women’s Basic Hormone Panel
- Women’s Comprehensive Blood Testing Profile
- Total Health and Wellness Lab Assessment
- Ultimate Health and Wellness Lab Assessment