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The Accuracy of Saliva Adrenal Cortisol Testing

How does Saliva Cortisol Compare to Blood Levels?

Jul 17, 2009 Jim Lowrance

The development of saliva test kits for measuring adrenal hormones has proven to be an accurate and convenient method of in-home testing.

Cortisol, the major adrenal hormone also called “cortical” is the most important hormone level tested, to determine how well the adrenal glands are functioning. Each person has two glands, each sitting directly on top of a kidney gland, located on both sides of the lower back. The glands are small, being about the size of a grape but are responsible for the body’s ability to survive, cope-with and recover from stress, including everyday stressors and those that are traumatic or severe. The adrenals also produce hormones that are precursors to sex hormones, meaning the initial hormones produced by the glands will convert into other hormones, including the sex ones, as needed in the body.

More Adrenal Testing Options are Now Available

With the emergence of recognition for mild to moderate levels of adrenal insufficiency, often referred to as “Adrenal Fatigue” or “Adrenal Exhaustion”, more testing options have been developed for testing adrenal function. In addition to the test for detecting full blown adrenal insufficiency called the “ACTH Stimulation test”, other tests to detect abnormal adrenal function, including those that help detect overactive adrenal glands (Cushing’s syndrome) have become increasingly available in recent years. These tests include collecting urine samples over a 24 hour period, to determine adrenal cortisol output and saliva samples that can be collected at different times of the day to establish the rhythm of cortisol output.

Medical Research says Saliva Cortisol Tests are Accurate

Medical groups that have studied adrenal-cortisol testing by saliva samples, have determined this type testing to be accurate, as well as less intrusive and more convenient than blood sampling. Mention is also made in these studies that multiple levels can be obtained at different points of a full day-cycle (24 hour period) which would be difficult to accomplish by blood sampling. Saliva samples can be done in the convenience of a person’s home while multiple blood draws would require long stays or repeated visits to blood draw clinics when taking multiple samples during a 24-hour period. When citing conclusions on saliva testing to detect Cushing’s syndrome, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism states that it is as accurate as plasma measurements and better than urineglucocorticoid excretion.

Salivary cortisol Measurements

Saliva Test Kits are available online and through Pharmacies

Consumers, who wish to test their adrenal function in the privacy of their homes, can now purchase saliva test kits that accurately measure both cortisol and DHEA hormone levels. Many pharmacies are now carrying kits by reputable labs that analyze saliva samples, including those manufactured by ZRT Labs, Inc. and Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory (GSDL). These companies also offer saliva test kits to determine sex hormone levels in addition to the adrenal ones. Saliva sex hormone testing is also used by medical research groups, including World Health Organizations.

If you order testing through your pharmacy, results are returned to them, so that your pharmacist can go over the results with you. If you order test kits online, the results are sent directly to you. While this type testing requires no doctor visit, people who use them should take their results to their doctor for evaluation if abnormal results are returned or regardless of results so that it can be entered into your medical files.

The copyright of the article The Accuracy of Saliva Adrenal Cortisol Testing in General Medicine is owned by Jim Lowrance. Permission to republish The Accuracy of Saliva Adrenal Cortisol Testing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Adrenal Gland