24-Hour Urine Cortisol vs DUTCH Test: Which to Use
Comparing 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) with the DUTCH dried urine panel: what each measures, sensitivity for Cushing's, and Australian availability.
10 min read
How to Read an IGF-1 Result: Age-Adjusted Ranges and the GH Axis
Why an IGF-1 blood result only makes sense against age- and sex-adjusted reference ranges, how labs express it as an SDS/z-score, what low and high values reflect in research, and why assays differ.
5 min read
Prolactin Blood Test: Interpretation for Men and Women
Prolactin peaks overnight and falls through the morning; venepuncture stress and macroprolactin can fake a high result. Causes run from prolactinoma to drugs.
11 min read
AMH Ovarian Reserve Test Australia: What It Measures
The AMH ovarian reserve test Australia measures egg supply, not fertility. Learn age-based pmol/L ranges, PCOS patterns, IVF relevance, and what it cannot predict.
11 min read
Progesterone Blood Test: Optimal Ranges, Fully Explained
Progesterone is the most misinterpreted hormone on a standard blood panel. Reference ranges ignore cycle phase, and testing at the wrong time ruins the result.
17 min read
Fasting Insulin: Australia's Most Underordered Test
Fasting insulin reveals insulin resistance years before glucose or HbA1c move. Optimal ranges, HOMA-IR calculation, and what elevated insulin predicts.
15 min read
Cortisol Awakening Response and the DUTCH Test Guide
The cortisol awakening response is a 50 to 160 percent spike within 30 to 45 minutes of waking. How the DUTCH test captures this distinctive daily pattern.
11 min read
How to Interpret Your Testosterone Blood Test Results
Total testosterone tells you less than you think. Free testosterone, SHBG, and the ratio between them determine how much androgen activity cells can use.
13 min read
Estradiol (E2) Optimal Ranges by Life Stage and Sex
What optimal estradiol actually looks like by life stage and sex, beyond the wide lab reference range: functional E2 targets across a woman's life stages.
13 min read
Cortisol and DHEA-S: How to Read the Adrenal Panel
A single AM cortisol number tells you almost nothing about HPA axis health. DHEA-S, the cortisol to DHEA ratio, and a saliva curve reveal what serum hides.
10 min read
Optimal Testosterone Ranges for Men: The Full Guide
Lab reference ranges for testosterone are built on population averages that include elderly, metabolically compromised men. Functional ranges for total T here.
10 min read
How to Read Your Thyroid Panel: Beyond TSH Explained
TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. Using it as your sole marker is like judging engine health by accelerator position. The full panel explained.
9 min read