The Hormone-Health Connection: Five Tests That Could Add Years to Your Life

Hormones are about more than reproduction. If your hormone levels are too high or too low, the consequences could be dire. It’s not just about feeling out of sorts. When they are not in balance, hormones can ruin your health and shorten your lifespan. If you’ve been feeling tired, irritable, or depressed lately, it could be time for a hormone test. Weight gain, trouble sleeping, and a host of other physical concerns are often because of a hormone imbalance. 
The good news is that there are easy, at-home hormone tests available. Read on to learn all about the hormone-health connection and the five important tests that can add years to your life.

When Hormones Are Out of Balance

Although not always associated with a prolonged lifespan, some of the latest longevity research is focused on hormones. There are around 50 different ones responsible for various bodily functions. This is why problems develop so quickly from just a single hormone imbalance. 

Overseeing the creation and release of all these hormones, is the endocrine system. This complex ecosystem is made up of both vital organs and tissues. Within the brain, a tiny section called the hypothalamus facilitates many of the system’s functions. Just below the hypothalamus lies the pineal and pituitary glands followed by the thyroid gland in the neck. Other tissues include the adrenal gland, the pancreas, and the ovaries or testes. All are responsible for the creation and release of different hormones. 

Hormones are minuscule chemical messengers with an outsized role. They affect every aspect of our lives including healthy aging. Although thought of primarily for their role in reproductive functions, they also control metabolism, the sleep-wake cycle, appetites, blood pressure, and so much more. When hormones aren’t in balance, a range of symptoms results. Some signs of a hormone imbalance include irritation, depression, fatigue, and bloat. If left untreated, hormonal imbalances shorten lives. The life expectancy of someone with high cortisol levels, for example, is far shorter than for someone with normal cortisol levels.

“The endocrine system plays a major role in survival and lifespan through regulating vital processes such as energy consumption and optimizing the stress response among others…” explains a recent research paper entitled, “Age-Related Hormones Changes and Its Impact on Health Status and Lifespan.” The longevity research study further explains that, “With aging, the peripheral endocrine glands, and the central pituitary/ hypothalamic axis experience changes in its homeostasis. .. Indeed, the endocrine system plays a major role in survival and lifespan.”

Your body is on a constant quest for this homeostasis – a steady state when your systems are at their best. A hormone imbalance interferes with the body’s innate drive to achieve homeostasis. Within your brain, the hypothalamus oversees sex drive, appetite, emotions, while the autonomic nervous system regulates blood pressure and body temperature. It does this thanks to a complex hormone-brain feedback loop that relies on nerve cells delivering chemical messages. These trigger the hypothalamus to release hormones which are responsible for maintaining homeostasis. As the research paper further explains, “From an evolutionary perspective, the endocrine system is responsible for the metabolic adaptation of the species.” 

Unfortunately, this also provides one possible explanation for why so many are battling obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. That’s because the “feast and famine cycle” hypothesis suggests that ancient mechanisms for retaining fat during times of scarcity are the very adaptations that can make it so hard to lose weight today. Conditions like heart disease have been linked to a hormone imbalance. Some estimates suggest that these metabolic conditions are responsible for half of all deaths worldwide. 

Because different conditions can cause similar symptoms, accurate information is vital. If you are worried you have a hormone imbalance, there’s a simple way to find out. Instead of waiting weeks or even months for a doctor’s appointment, Kyla offers an at-home hormone test that delivers results in days. By downloading the Kyla app, you’ll soon be able to check your hormone levels and get on the path toward healthy aging. 

After downloading the Kyla app, you’ll be asked a few simple questions. This helps the app formulate a risk analysis that includes your projected life expectancy. The app offers the option to order an at-home Hormone & Vitamin Panel from Kyla. You can also order it online. Just complete an easy two-minute, online health quiz and select the best test for you.

Some home-testing companies charge hundreds of dollars for a hormone test. Kyla’s comprehensive tests cost just $99 – which may be covered by your insurance. You’ll receive the hormone test kit just a few days after ordering. Just follow the simple instructions for sample collection and return it to our labs postage free. You’ll soon receive the results which will not only reveal whether or not you have a hormone imbalance but also the current state of your heart, kidney, and liver health. Along with hormone levels, you’ll learn about your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. You’ll also discover if you have deficiencies in vitamin D, B9, or B12. If you’re not sure if a hormone test is right for you, take a look at these five life-shortening hormone imbalances and see if their symptoms sound familiar. 

1. Tired or Depressed? Testing Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Can Help

Lying in close proximity to the hypothalamus is the pebble-sized pituitary gland. This tiny gland manufactures and distributes eight different hormones including thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH. If your thyroid levels are sub-optimal, the pituitary gland releases TSH. This triggers production of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). 

Working in concert these two hormones provide assistance with muscular control and bone density. They also regulate digestion and cardiovascular functions. These hormones are responsible for how rapidly your body metabolizes nutrients and how efficiently your body turns food into fuel.  

Lying just below the skin at the front of the throat, the thyroid gland releases hormones to help you feel warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. After you eat, they motivate the body to exercise. Following exertion, they inspire rest and slumber. Hormones released by the thyroid even determine your heart rate.  Because hormones produced by the thyroid oversee so many bodily functions, when you have suboptimal levels of thyroid-related hormones it’s usually a warning sign. If you’ve gained weight, have low energy, or are having difficulty metabolizing food it could indicate thyroid problems. You don’t need to guess. Part of the at-home Hormone & Vitamin Panel from Kyla includes a TSH test along with tests of T4, and T3. 

If you’ve been considering a TSH test, now is the time to act. Thyroid problems have been conclusively linked to shorter lifespans. One recent longevity study of thyroid levels concluded that participants over the age of 50 who had “low-normal thyroid function live up to 3.5 years longer overall and up to 3.1 years longer without cardiovascular disease than participants with high-normal thyroid function.”

2. Problem Pregnancy, Ovarian Cysts, or Brittle Bone Concerns? You Need AN FSH Test! 

The pituitary gland doesn’t just involve itself with thyroid levels. It also secretes Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) which initiates a woman’s estrogen and egg production. That’s why hormone tests that include FSH levels are vital for anyone hoping to get pregnant. For men, FSH controls the quantity and health of their sperm – which is why testing a man’s follicle stimulating hormone levels is vital if he’s trying to get his partner pregnant.

However, looking at follicle stimulating hormone levels is about more than diagnosing fertility and ovulation issues. It has been used to identify ovarian cysts. Testing FSH levels is also vital for the sort of preventive care that can extend lifespans. 

When your follicle stimulating hormone levels are high, you could have bone density issues and put yourself at risk for fractures. With postmenopausal women, elevated follicle stimulating hormone levels can also increase the risk for osteoporosis. Low testosterone in men when combined with high levels of FSH accelerates the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. This is a precursor to cardiovascular disease – modern life’s main impediment to a prolonged lifespan. Women with low testosterone and high FSH levels face similar concerns. Men and women with elevated FSH levels are at an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis according to some studies. 

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of symptoms including hypertension and elevated levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and midsection fat. These symptoms are a hallmark of abbreviated lifespans and unhealthy aging. Unfortunately, studies not only suggest that elevated follicle stimulating hormone levels can increase the risk for metabolic syndrome but researchers are even exploring ways of blocking FSH or deploying anti–FSH antibodies. FSH may also be partly responsible for cognitive decline in menopausal women. 

That’s why it’s so important to check your follicle stimulating hormone levels by ordering Kyla’s Female Hormone & Vitamin Panel. Along with an FSH test it also includes two other tests vital for hormone health: luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2).

3. Chronic Stress? You Might Need a Cortisol Test!

Cortisol is one of the primary hormones released during the fight-or-flight response. Although adrenalin might be better known for its role as energizer, cortisol keeps your engine revving. Along with maintaining your hyper vigilance toward a perceived threat, it immediately signals the liver to release stored glucose. This gives you another burst of stamina. Cortisol is not only produced during elevated threats but also during physical exertion and when you awaken. 

When you have optimal cortisol levels, you don’t just have a well-regulated immune system. You also have healthy blood pressure levels along with reduced sensitivity to pain. If you are having trouble remembering things, it could actually be a sign of high cortisol levels.  

If you are dealing with chronic stress elevated cortisol levels can lead to chronic conditions. That’s because instead of reacting to a transitory threat, your body is on unending high alert as the result of financial, family, or other concerns. Consistently elevated cortisol levels definitely affect longevity. Study after study shows that elevated cortisol levels accelerate aging, or as one explained, “…high levels of cortisol are associated with a higher perceived age.” In other words, reducing your cortisol levels can actually reverse aging.

Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to numerous health problems. If you’ve gained weight in their face, midsection and/ or upper back it could be a sign of higher than normal cortisol levels. If you feel fatigued, irritable, and have consistent headaches, then you may need to reduce cortisol. You can do this by reducing stress and making other lifestyle changes. 

However, your first step needs to be taking a hormone test that will reveal your cortisol levels. Fortunately, Kyla offers an at-home cortisol test.  Not only will you be able to learn if a hormone imbalance is responsible for your symptoms, when you download the app you gain access to Kyla’s proprietary risk engine. By combining AI-driven data analysis with personalized programs, Kyla can help you not only overcome elevated cortisol levels but also extend your life expectancy. 

4. Testing Your Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels Is About More Than Fertility 

When women are worried about getting pregnant or facing fertility issues, an anti-müllerian hormone test lets them know approximately how many eggs they have. This lets them make informed decisions. Generally this hormone peaks around age 25 and is undetectable after menopause. 

However, anti-müllerian hormone levels are about more than fertility. That’s because studies have shown that elevated AMH levels represent a similarly elevated risk for breast cancer. Having an elevated level generally means menopause commences later in life. This also extends the length of time for exposure to elevated quantities of steroid sex hormones – which increases cancer risk. 

This doesn’t mean a low anti-müllerian hormone level is ideal. Recent studies have found a link between low AMH levels and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. What this means is that women who are concerned about cancer, type 2 diabetes or any condition that can prevent a happy and prolonged lifespan should make sure that any hormone test that take includes anti-müllerian hormone levels.

Kyla’s Female Hormone & Vitamin Panel is just such a test, providing convenient and accurate results to help you make healthy choices. Low anti-müllerian hormone levels for example, can often be resolved through lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. Fortunately, when you download the Kyla app you’ll be able to start recording your daily calorie count and activity level immediately. 

5. Total Testosterone Tests Are Important For Men and Women

No other hormone is associated with men like testosterone. It’s true that getting a “T” test is vital for any man worried about issues like weight gain or depression. Low testosterone in men is often the cause of fatigue and low energy levels. However, women also produce testosterone. It’s created in their fat cells, ovaries, and adrenal glands. Then it’s converted to estradiol. Both men and women with low testosterone levels face reduced sex drive and issues with bone density. 

Of course low testosterone levels aren’t the only concern. High levels in women can affect their cycle and fertility while elevated levels for both genders can cause excessive facial hair growth along with hair loss, acne, and irritability. 

However, low testosterone in men is associated with more than just lack of energy or sex drive. A very recent examination of multiple studies determined that low levels in men can also affect longevity. For men, normal levels range from between 10 and 35 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). After men turn 30, their testosterone levels begin declining from between one to two percent per year. The problem is when a man starts out at a low level (according to the study below 7.4 nmol/L). These men were more likely to die during the study’s period. Being below 5.3 nmol/L specifically elevated their risk for cardiovascular disease and death from strokes or heart attacks.

That’s why getting an at-home testosterone test is so important. Around 40% of men don’t get annual check-ups. This is one reason they have shorter lifespans than women. In fact, men’s overall mortality rate is 41 percent higher than women’s. Across 10 different causes of death, men are more likely to die in eight of them. 

Fortunately, an at-home testosterone test is part of Kyla’s Male Hormone and Vitamin Panel. Included in this panel are tests not only for total testosterone but also tests that look at fertility markers, stress hormones, thyroid function, and prostate health. 

As the website Healthline points out, “Only a testosterone test can measure how much of the hormone is in your body and determine whether your level is within a healthy range.” That’s why the at home testosterone test Kyla offers can be an important component of preventive care. While many companies charge hundreds of dollars for a similar test, Kyla delivers a host of men’s health tests for $99. This cost may even be covered by insurance.

Kyla is focused on putting into practice the most promising longevity research. This means when you resolve a hormone imbalance, you won’t just feel better today. Kyla will help you feel better for decades. That’s because Kyla’s Anti-Aging program is rapidly developing the technologies that could lead to longevity escape velocity. This is where thanks to advances in medicine and preventative care, you will gain more than one year of lifespan for every year you are alive. While that speaks to a promising future, downloading the Kyla app will help you get on a healthy path today.

Sources:

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