Andropause Assessment Panel

Description

What is the Male Salivary Hormone Profile (ZRT) Test?

The Male Salivary Hormone Profile (ZRT) Test from BiomarkersLabs.com measures sex hormones and diurnal cortisol from saliva in men using ZRT Laboratory’s validated salivary hormone methodology — providing a non-invasive, home-collectable assessment of free (bioavailable) hormone levels alongside the four-point diurnal cortisol pattern that characterises HPA axis function in a way that single-point serum cortisol cannot. Salivary hormone testing captures the free, unbound fraction of steroid hormones — the biologically active portion that has crossed the salivary gland epithelium by passive diffusion — making it particularly informative for assessing free hormone bioavailability and for monitoring topical or transdermal hormone preparations where salivary levels may more accurately reflect free hormone tissue delivery than serum.

For men, this profile covers total testosterone (salivary free fraction), DHEA (salivary), oestradiol (salivary), and four-point diurnal cortisol — providing the combined adrenal-sex hormone assessment that is particularly valuable in men presenting with fatigue, burnout, reduced drive, and hormonal complaints where the adrenal-gonadal relationship is central to clinical understanding. The four-point cortisol collection (morning, noon, evening, night) reveals the full daily cortisol rhythm — identifying abnormal diurnal patterns, a blunted morning cortisol awakening, flat cortisol curves, or aberrant evening cortisol elevation that are entirely invisible to a single serum cortisol measurement. ZRT Laboratory is a CLIA-certified reference laboratory with published validation data for salivary hormone methodology in male populations. Results are delivered to the practitioner portal within 7–10 business days. Available in USA and Canada. Licensed practitioners only.

What does the Male Salivary Hormone Profile (ZRT) measure?

Testosterone (salivary free fraction) — bioavailable testosterone in saliva; reflects free androgen at the tissue level. Useful in the context of topical testosterone monitoring and free androgen assessment where conventional serum is unavailable or impractical.

DHEA (salivary) — free adrenal androgen precursor; reflects adrenal androgen availability; declines with age.

Oestradiol (E2 — salivary) — free oestradiol fraction; relevant in men on TRT where aromatisation monitoring via salivary methodology is preferred by the practitioner.

Cortisol (four-point diurnal — salivary) — morning, noon, evening, and night salivary cortisol, providing the complete daily cortisol curve. Eliminates the venepuncture stress artefact that affects serum cortisol, making it the most physiologically accurate method for diurnal cortisol assessment.

Clinical indications

Diurnal cortisol pattern assessment in men — the four-point salivary cortisol profile is the method of choice for evaluating the daily cortisol rhythm in men presenting with chronic fatigue, burnout, poor stress resilience, sleep disruption, and afternoon energy collapse — all symptoms associated with HPA axis dysregulation.

HPA axis dysfunction — adrenal stress assessment — in men with symptoms of adrenal fatigue, burnout, or chronic stress, the four-point cortisol curve characterises the pattern of HPA axis dysfunction and guides adaptogenic, lifestyle, and hormonal interventions.

Combined adrenal and gonadal hormonal assessment — for practitioners assessing the interaction between adrenal and testicular hormonal function in men with complex fatigue and low testosterone symptoms, the combined cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone salivary profile provides the multi-axis picture in a single non-invasive collection.

Topical testosterone monitoring — salivary hormone testing may more accurately reflect free hormone tissue delivery from topical testosterone preparations than serum, making it a clinically relevant monitoring tool for men using transdermal testosterone gels where serum measurements may be unreliable.

Remote or non-invasive HPA axis assessment — patients unable or unwilling to attend phlebotomy can complete the four-point salivary collection at home across a single day, making this the most accessible method for comprehensive HPA axis characterisation.

Practitioners using ZRT platform for male hormonal assessment — practitioners consolidating male hormone testing on the ZRT platform benefit from the addition of the salivary profile for cases requiring diurnal cortisol assessment alongside the standard dried blood spot sex hormone panel.

Sample type and collection

Saliva. No fasting required for sex hormone components; avoid eating, drinking (other than water), brushing teeth, or using oral products for at least 30 minutes before each saliva collection. Four separate saliva collections on a single day: morning (within 30 minutes of waking), noon (11am–1pm), evening (5–8pm), and night (10pm–midnight). Full instructions and all collection materials are provided in the ZRT salivary kit. Home collection is fully suitable. The kit is ordered through BiomarkersLabs.com and shipped directly to the patient by the practitioner.

Turnaround time

7–10 business days from specimen receipt at ZRT Laboratory.

Availability

USA · Canada only

Compliance

CLIA Certified · HIPAA Compliant · PIPEDA Compliant

How to order

Register free at BiomarkersLabs.com. Licensed practitioners only. Pay per test — no subscription required. Results are delivered directly and securely to your practitioner portal and are never released directly to patients.