Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — andropause

By Dr. Allison Smith, ZRT Laboratory Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is one of the most overlooked variables in hormone health. It directly controls how much testosterone is biologically active in your body — yet it rarely appears on standard blood panels. Whether you're dealing with symptoms of low testosterone, androgen excess, or unexplained hormonal imbalance, understanding SHBG is essential to getting the full picture. What is SHBG? SHBG is a protein produced primarily in the liver that binds tightly to testosterone — and to a lesser degree, oestradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — and carries them through the bloodstream....

Explore why many men on topical testosterone replacement therapy may be unintentionally over-dosed due to outdated serum testing methods and misunderstood dosing principles. Learn how saliva and dried blood spot testing better reflect bioavailable testosterone delivered to tissues, why physiological dosing matters, and how excessive testosterone may suppress natural hormone production, reduce receptor sensitivity, and negatively affect long-term symptom management and hormonal balance.

From the age of 45, most men experience a gradual decline in testosterone and DHEA — yet many put their symptoms down to “just getting old.” Andropause is real, measurable and manageable. Discover the symptoms, the truth about testosterone replacement therapy, and the lifestyle and testing strategies that help men age well rather than rapidly.