Do I need to be on an empty stomach to draw blood for sex hormones?

Regular physical examinations can help you find problems in your body in a timely manner, so that you can treat the disease early. However, some physical examinations require patients to fast on an empty stomach, such as blood tests and B-ultrasound. Only in this way can the accuracy of the test results be improved. Sex hormone tests are mainly for people with endocrine disorders. So, do you need to fast on an empty stomach for sex hormone blood tests?

First, do I need to be on an empty stomach for a blood test to test the sex hormones? Since the six sex hormone tests are done by drawing blood, women must go to the hospital for a check-up on the 3rd to 5th day after their menstrual period and must also go for the check-up on an empty stomach. In addition, in order to ensure more accurate examination results, you should maintain the same sleep time and quality as the previous night. Try not to eat anything, including water, after 12:00 PM the night before your test. I went to the hospital to have my blood drawn at around 9:30 on the day of the examination. In addition, after the examination, you can drink water and eat breakfast immediately, and try to eat more blood-enriching and protein-containing foods, such as milk, bread, etc.

Second, check on an empty stomach 3 to 7 days after the end of menstruation, including several indicators such as luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Among them, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone mainly promote follicle development and ovulation. If the test values ​​are too high, it may lead to amenorrhea or infertility. High prolactin levels may be caused by a pituitary tumor or hypothyroidism. If progesterone is too low, it indicates hypofunction of the pituitary gland and ovaries, absence of menstruation or ovulation, and abnormal pregnancy.

Third, the inspection items are different and the attention methods are also different. The inspection content can be a full check or a single item check. To check estrogen, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone, 2 ml is required for each test, also after venous serum separation. To check testosterone, 2 ml of venous serum is drawn. The commonly used method is radioimmunoassay, and the test can be performed after the serum is separated. Prolactin should be tested on an empty stomach, with serum drawn around 9am. When checking luteinizing hormone, although it is also a radioimmunoassay test, because luteinizing hormone is secreted in a pulsed manner, it is best to collect samples 3-4 times within 1 hour and then mix them together for measurement, which is more accurate.

Do I need to be fasting for a blood test on sex hormones? The six items of female sex hormones are used to check the female endocrine system, mainly to check the causes of female endocrine disorders. Items include luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and prolactin. If you want to check six sex hormones, it is best to go to the hospital for a fasting blood test 2 to 4 days after your period. This is basic endocrinology and the results are more accurate.