Do saliva hormone tests help personalize dosing?
A saliva kit promises a number that fits your body and a dose built around it. Before paying for that, it helps to see what an endocrine group says the evidence shows.
What the Endocrine Society says
The Endocrine Society states: "Hormone customization is very difficult to achieve, because blood hormone levels are difficult to regulate accurately due to normal physiologic and pharmacokinetic variations and limitations of readily available assay methods."
On saliva specifically, it continues: "Nonetheless, proponents of cBHT assert that simple tests of saliva can provide the information necessary to customize hormone doses. These claims are not supported by scientific data confirming assay quality control, standardization, or clinical correlations."
Here cBHT means compounded bioidentical hormone therapy. In plain terms, the society says the proof that a saliva result can set a dose is missing.
Questions to ask about any hormone test
- What evidence shows this test should guide my dose?
- Which lab runs it, and how is the lab's quality checked?
- What would you do if my result and my symptoms disagree?
Where to read the primary material
The society's full position is on its page about compounded bioidentical hormone therapy. MedlinePlus has a general page on hormone therapy for menopause. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration answers common questions in compounding and the FDA: questions and answers.
How to weigh a test result
If a provider in West Sacramento or elsewhere sells a saliva panel as the key to your dose, ask for the supporting evidence before you pay. A test that cannot show its reliability should not carry the full weight of the decision.