Nutritional Testing Service

Life Extension’s most popular hormone panel for men (Item# LC322582) – Order Test

One of Life Extension’s® most popular panels, the Life Extension Male Panel is a comprehensive blood test that addresses cardiovascular health, hormone status, and general health.

This panel contains the following tests:

• Chemistry Panel (metabolic panel with lipids) – The cornerstone of any complete physical, the chemistry panel provides an array of markers to help assess cardiovascular risk, metabolic function, electrolyte status, minerals important for bone health, plus liver and kidney function.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) – The CBC test evaluates three types of cells that circulate in the blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). These markers can help to provide information regarding the immune system, possibility of an infection, blood disorder, nutritional deficiencies, your body’s ability to clot, and more.
• Free & Total Testosterone – Known as the feel-good hormone, testosterone helps maintain a man’s bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength, sex drive, mood, energy, sperm production, and more.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) – Produced primarily by the adrenal glands, DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body. DHEA plays a fundamental role in hormone balance, as well as supporting one’s immune function, energy, mood, and maintenance of muscle and bone mass. Since orally administered DHEA is mostly converted to DHEA-S, coupled with the fact that DHEA-S levels are more stable in the blood than DHEA, measurement of DHEA-S is preferable to DHEA.
• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) – PSA is produced exclusively by cells of the prostate gland. Used in conjunction with a digital rectal examination, PSA is a useful screening test for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer development.
• Estradiol (E2) – The primary female sex hormone, estradiol is a form of estrogen that is also present in males. In men, high levels of estradiol are associated with excessive abdominal fat, enlargement of the prostate, and increased cardiovascular risk. Conversely, levels that are too low are associated with osteoporosis.
• Homocysteine – Identified by Life Extension as 1 of 17 independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high homocysteine levels can directly damage the delicate endothelial cells that line the inside of arteries, resulting in vascular inflammation, arterial plaque rupture, and blood clot formation.
• C-reactive protein (High sensitivity) – CRP measures general levels of inflammation in your body, but cannot show where the inflammation is located or what is causing it. Uncontrolled, systemic inflammation places you at risk for many degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke.
• TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) – TSH is produced by the pituitary gland, and stimulates your thyroid to produce thyroid hormones T3 and T4. TSH can be used to screen for thyroid disease and other thyroid imbalances.
• Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy – Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is important to every cell and tissue throughout the body. From proper immune function and bone density to heart health and mood disorders, vitamin D is critical for optimal health.
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) – HbA1C shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months. HbA1C is a useful indicator of how well blood glucose is being controlled, and is also used to monitor the effects of diet, exercise, and drug therapy in diabetic patients.
• Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) – ApoB is a protein involved in the metabolism of lipids and is the main protein constituent of all non-HDL cholesterol in your blood. The greater the number, the greater the risk of more cholesterol ending up in your artery wall and the greater the risk of artery calcification and heart attack.
• Insulin – Insulin helps regulate blood glucose levels and plays a role in lipid metabolism. Too much insulin indicates insulin resistance which promotes weight gain by storing fat. It also plays a role in inflammation and tends to lower HDL(“good”) cholesterol and raise levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Life Extension’s most popular hormone panel for women (Item# LC322535) – Order Test

One of Life Extension’s® most popular panels, the Life Extension Female Panel is a comprehensive blood test that addresses cardiovascular health, hormone status, and general health.

This panel contains the following tests:

• Chemistry Panel (metabolic panel with lipids) – The cornerstone of any complete physical, the chemistry panel provides an array of markers to help assess cardiovascular risk, metabolic function, electrolyte status, minerals important for bone health, plus liver and kidney function.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) – The CBC test evaluates three types of cells that circulate in the blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). These markers can help to provide information regarding the immune system, possibility of an infection, blood disorder, nutritional deficiencies, your body’s ability to clot, and more.
• Free & Total Testosterone – Known as the feel-good hormone, testosterone helps maintain a woman’s libido, bone and muscle mass, cardiovascular health, mood, and sense of well-being. Testosterone in conjunction with estrogen is crucial in minimizing hot flashes, sleep disturbances, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) – Produced primarily by the adrenal glands, DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body. DHEA plays a fundamental role in hormone balance, as well as supporting one’s immune function, energy, mood, and maintenance of muscle and bone mass. Since orally administered DHEA is mostly converted to DHEA-S, coupled with the fact that DHEA-S levels are more stable in the blood than DHEA, measurement of DHEA-S is preferable to DHEA.
• Progesterone – Instrumental in balancing the powerful effects of estrogen, an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen is linked to weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, migraine, cancer, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, and osteoporosis.
• Estradiol (E2) – The primary female sex hormone, estradiol is a form of estrogen responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle, skin elasticity, bone strength, bladder and vaginal health.
• Homocysteine – Identified by Life Extension as 1 of 17 independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high homocysteine levels can directly damage the delicate endothelial cells that line the inside of arteries, resulting in vascular inflammation, arterial plaque rupture, and blood clot formation.
• C-reactive protein (High sensitivity) – CRP measures general levels of inflammation in your body, but cannot show where the inflammation is located or what is causing it. Uncontrolled, systemic inflammation places you at risk for many degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke.
• TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) – TSH is produced by the pituitary gland, and stimulates your thyroid to produce thyroid hormones T3 and T4. TSH can be used to screen for thyroid disease and other thyroid imbalances.
• Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy – Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is important to every cell and tissue throughout the body. From proper immune function and bone density to heart health and mood disorders, vitamin D is critical for optimal health.
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) – HbA1C shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months. HbA1C is a useful indicator of how well blood glucose is being controlled, and is also used to monitor the effects of diet, exercise, and drug therapy in diabetic patients.
• Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) – ApoB is a protein involved in the metabolism of lipids and is the main protein constituent of all non-HDL cholesterol in your blood. The greater the number, the greater the risk of more cholesterol ending up in your artery wall and the greater the risk of artery calcification and heart attack.
• Insulin – Insulin helps regulate blood glucose levels and plays a role in lipid metabolism. Too much insulin indicates insulin resistance which promotes weight gain by storing fat. It also plays a role in inflammation and tends to lower HDL(“good”) cholesterol and raise levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Our most comprehensive hormone profile for men (Item# LC100016) – Order Test

This elite panel was designed by Life Extension® for men looking to monitor multiple systems throughout their body such as thyroid function, endocrine function, hormone status, and other general health markers.

This panel contains the following tests:

Steroid Hormones:

• Testosterone, Free with Total
• Estrogens, Total
• Estradiol
• DHEA-S
• Progesterone
• Pregnenolone
• Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
• FSH/LH
• Cortisol

Thyroid Hormones:

• TSH
• Free T3
• Free T4
• Reverse T3

Cardiac Markers:

• C-reactive protein (high sensitivity)
• Homocysteine
• Apolipoprotein B

Prostate Cancer Marker:

• PSA
• Free PSA
• % Free PSA

Endocrine Hormone:

• Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
• Insulin

Hormone Binding Proteins:

• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)

General Health Markers:

• Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy
• Complete Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Profile
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Ferritin
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

Our most comprehensive hormone profile for women (Item# LC100017) – Order Test

This elite panel was designed by Life Extension® for women looking to monitor multiple systems throughout their body such as thyroid function, endocrine function, hormone status, and other general health markers.

This panel contains the following tests:

Steroid Hormones:

• Testosterone, Free with Total
• Estrogens, Total
• Estrone
• Estradiol
• DHEA-S
• Progesterone
• Pregnenolone
• Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
• FSH/LH
• Cortisol

Thyroid Hormones:

• TSH
• Free T3
• Free T4
• Reverse T3

Cardiac Markers:

• C-reactive protein (high sensitivity)
• Homocysteine
• Apolipoprotein B

Endocrine Hormone:

• Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
• Insulin

Hormone Binding Proteins:

• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)

General Health Markers:

• Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy
• Complete Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Profile
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Ferritin
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

Can’t lose weight? Find out why (Item# LC100028) – Order Test

Since hunger, cravings, stress, and energy are all sensations that are managed by our hormones – balancing them should be the first step in everyone’s weight loss regimen. In this age of technology, there are all kinds of resources to track your calorie intake and output, help with an exercise routine, and nutrition guides to follow. Life Extension® offers you a blood test to help get the hormonal balance part of your weight loss equation right. Armed with the results, you will be on your way to optimizing those hormones that effect your ability to lose weight.

This panel contains the following tests:

Sex Hormones – An imbalance can impact your ability to lose and maintain your weight.

• DHEA-S
• Free and Total Testosterone
• Estradiol (E2)
• Progesterone

Thyroid Hormones – A complex relationship exists between your thyroid, metabolism, and weight.

• TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
• Free T3
• Free T4
• Reverse T3

Stress Hormones – High levels of stress can trigger your body to store additional belly fat.

• Cortisol

Insulin Resistance Markers – When insulin levels are chronically high and body becomes resistant to insulin, fat storage can be further increased.

• Insulin
• Ferritin
• Hemoglobin A1C

Inflammation and General Health Markers – Inflammation, anemia, and vitamin D status are all important weight loss markers.

• Complete Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Panel
• CBC (Complete Blood Count)
• Vitamin D 25-hydroxy
• C-Reactive Protein (high sensitivity)

Item Catalog Number: LC100083 – Order Test

Gastrointestinal complaints are very common in the general population. And yet, most people don’t know that anyimpairment in GI function or the mucosal barrier is serious and may lead to the development of food allergies, systemic illnesses, autoimmune disease, toxic overload and more.

The GI tract is home to over 1000 species of microbial organisms, most of them bacteria. These organisms are collectively known as the microbiome. Biomarkers of this microbiome indicate how well it is performing its shared metabolic functions with the human host.

Utilizing a growth-based culture of live organisms (yeast and bacteria), sensitive biochemical assays and microscopic methods this profile provides a comprehensive assessment of GI health and helps determine the root cause of many gut complaints and systemic conditions.

The key markers of this panel have been grouped into 6 actionable areas:

• Digestion/Absorption
  • Elastase – to determine exocrine pancreatic function
  • Fecal Fats -fat maldigestion and malabsorption
  • Muscle and Vegetable fibers – incomplete digestion
  • Carbohydrates – malabsorption
• Microbiome
  • Putrefactive Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) with Butyrate – indicators of the health of the microbiome
  • Commensal Bacteria – imbalance of bacteria which can lead to colonization by pathogens
• Inflammation
  • Lactoferrin – inflammation of the intestinal mucosa
  • Calprotectin – useful in differentiating IBD and IBS and monitoring treatment
  • Lysozyme – an enzyme secreted at the site of inflammation
  • White Blood Cells and Mucus– can occur with infections and Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s
• Immune Response
  • Secretory IgA – gut secretory immunity and barrier function
• Intestinal Health Markers
  • Red Blood Cells – associated with infection, inflammation, colorectal cancer and hemorrhoids
  • pH – dependent on fermentation of fiber by beneficial gut flora
  • Occult Blood – blood present in microscopic quantitates only
  • Color – associated with diet and medication use as well as GI health
  • Consistency – the technical ability to recover biomarkers from stool may be influenced by extremes of consistency
• Infection
• Pathogenic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria* – these have the potential to cause disease
• Yeast – pathogenic yeast may be associated with GI symptoms
• Ova and Parasites – intestinal parasites are always abnormal and have the potential to cause damage to their host
• Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium – the most common parasites in the US
• Antimicrobial susceptibility – Prescription medications and natural agents are tested against selected pathogenic bacterial and fungal species to identify their sensitivity to medications and natural ingredients as well as resistance to those agents.

Item Catalog Number: LC100085 – Order Test

Urinary neurotransmitter (NT) levels provide an overall assessment of our body’s ability to make and break down neurotransmitters and are representative of whole body levels. Whole body neurotransmitter levels correlate with symptoms and provide a valuable tool for achieving balance and wellbeing.

In addition to the Basic Neurotransmitter Panel (LC100058), which tests for 9 neurotransmitters (PEA, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Serotonin, Glutamate, GABA, Glycine, and Histamine), we offer this expandedcomprehensive panel which includes the 9 neurotransmitters mentioned above, the neuroactive amino-acid taurine and several NT precursors and metabolites, namely, Tyrosine, Tyramine, DOPAC, 3-MT, Normetanephrine, Metanephrine, Tryptamine, and 5-HIAA.

This comprehensive Neurotransmitter Panel provides significantly greater detail regarding the creation and metabolism of our neurotransmitters. For example, are the low dopamine levels identified in the basic panel due to low levels of tyrosine, because of over activity of the MAO or COMT enzymes (which break down dopamine), or because of some other factor? This level of detail can allow us to be even more targeted with therapeutic suggestions for neurotransmitter balance.

The comprehensive panel includes the following:

SEROTONIN – A key neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of sleep, appetite and aggression. Serotonin imbalance is a common contributor to mood problems, and pharmacologic agents that alter serotonin levels are among the most commonly used class of drugs prescribed for anxiety and depression.

• 5-HIAA – An indicator of serotonin synthesis and metabolism by the MAO enzyme

GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Without GABA, impulsive behaviors are often poorly controlled, contributing to a range of anxious and/or reactive symptoms that extend from poor impulse control to seizure disorders.

DOPAMINE is largely responsible for regulating the pleasure reward pathway, memory and motor control.

• DOPAC – the primary metabolite of dopamine via the MAO enzyme
• 3-MT – Formed by metabolism of dopamine by the COMT enzyme
• Tyrosine – An amino acid precursor for dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine
• Tyramine – a trace amine derived from tyrosine

NOREPINEPHRINE, also called noradrenaline, is an excitatory neurotransmitter involved in a wide variety of actions including attention, focus, regulating heart rate, affecting blood flow, and suppressing inflammation.

• Normetanephrine – a metabolite of norepinephrine formed via the COMT enzyme

EPINEPHRINE, often better known as adrenaline, is an excitatory neurotransmitter which helps regulate muscle contraction, heart rate, glycogen breakdown, blood pressure and is heavily involved in the stress response.

• Metanephrine – A metabolite of epinephrine formed via the COMT enzyme

GLUTAMATE is an excitatory neurotransmitter and is involved in most aspects of normal brain function including cognition, memory and learning.

GLYCINE is inhibitory and plays dual roles as both a neurotransmitter and an amino acid. Glycine improves sleep quality, calms aggression, and serves as an anti-inflammatory agent. Glycine has been shown to boost mental performance and memory.

HISTAMINE is an excitatory neurotransmitter involved in the sleep/wake cycle and inflammatory response. Histamine plays a dual role in the body as both a neurotransmitter and immunomodulator increasing metabolism, promoting wakefulness, attention, circadian rhythms, learning, and memory.

PEA (PHENETHYLAMINE) promotes energy, elevates mood, regulates attention and aggression, and serves as a biomarker for ADHD.

TRYPTAMINE – A trace amine derived from tryptophan

TAURINE – an essential amino acid that has an inhibitory effect on neurons

Is a hidden food sensitivity sabotaging your health? 190 foods tested.

Food Safe Allergy Test – Combo
Item Catalog Number: LCM73003 – Order Test

Has it ever occurred to you that fatigue, weight gain, abdominal discomfort, headaches, and even aging skin could be due to a food allergy? Consideration of food allergy is a critical component of any comprehensive approach to good health.

The Food Safe Allergy Test measures your sensitivity to certain foods from an antibody-mediated immune response. The antibody measured in this test is IgG. This test does not measure the rapid-acting IgE food allergies. Since the immune system can react in multiple ways to different foods, there is no one allergy/sensitivity test that measures all of them. The two tests most commonly used are IgE (often by allergists) and IgG (often by alternative-minded doctors). If you react to a food via IgE antibodies it does not mean you will also react to the same food via IgG and vice versa. If you are sure you are reacting to food but it does not show up in this IgG test, it means your immune system is reacting to it in another way such as IgE, compliment pathway activation, mold or bacterial contamination of the food, other ingredients or preservatives in the food, food intolerances that are non-immune related, microflora metabolites generated by their consumption of food, white blood cell degranulation reactions in response to the food, histamine sensitivities, phenolic sensitivities, and so on.

Is your thyroid gland functioning properly? Find out!

Item# LC100018 – Order Test

Your thyroid gland sits in the lower portion of your neck and acts as the metabolic throttle for every cell in your body. When your thyroid doesn’t function efficiently, it can affect every cell in your body. An estimated 27 million Americans have thyroid disease, and about 13 million of them are undiagnosed.1 Since symptoms can often be vague such as fatigue, depression, and weight gain, many people are not tested for thyroid dysfunction.

Discover the secret of aging gracefully

Item# LC100026 – Order Test

The rate at which people age varies widely and the hallmarks of aging, such as loss of muscle tone and energy, a declining immune system, increased levels of body fat, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and a depleted memory occurs much faster in some individuals than others.

Why does the difference exist? The answer is gene expression. In other words, it depends on whether or not you are running your aging software at optimal levels.

Improving our aging software is an attainable goal since aging is fundamentally a metabolic process. This panel checks those metabolic processes such as inflammation, vitamin and mineral balance, sugar and lipid control, immune function, and thyroid regulation.

This panel also contains a urinalysis which can help detect problems in many parts of your body such as your kidneys, urinary tract, heart, and liver. A urinalysis can also help detect many problems before symptoms occur.

This panel contains the following tests:

Thyroid Hormones – Too much or too little thyroid hormone can spell trouble for your health and well-being.

• Free T3
• Free T4
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

Vitamins – Maintaining optimal levels is crucial for energy, immune function, mood regulation, and influencing the expression of genes involved in cancer development.

• Vitamin B12
• Folate
• Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy

Cardiovascular Risk Markers – Important markers for identifying increased risk for blood clot formation, endothelial dysfunction, and injury.

• Fibrinogen
• Homocysteine
• C-reactive protein (high sensitivity)

Insulin Resistance Markers – Insulin plays a major role in metabolism—the way the body uses food for energy. Insulin resistance can lead to a variety of serious health disorders.

• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)
• Glucose
• Insulin
• Ferritin

General Health Markers – Comprehensive wellness screening to check cholesterol, liver and kidney function, blood minerals and proteins, electrolyte status, anemia, immune function, and more.

• Complete metabolic panel with lipids
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Urinalysis