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When sex hormones are tested in women either in saliva or blood spot, ZRT test reports give a ratio of progesterone (Pg) to estradiol (E2). The ratio is helpful in clinical practice when both E2 and Pg are within range, yet the patient continues to have symptoms. It is not expected to be normal or used clinically when either E2 and/or Pg are outside of their expected ranges or if the patient does not have clinical symptoms. A low ratio occurs when Pg is low relative to E2. This describes the classic situation of estrogen dominance.  In general, either decreasing estrogen and/or increasing progesterone...

As January's Thyroid Awareness Month winds down, now is the time to practice all we've learned about the care and feeding of our master of metabolism. In Part I of our last blog post, we zeroed in on the enemies of a healthy thyroid. In Part II, we will help you fend them off to protect the health of your thyroid gland with the following key action steps. Reverse Estrogen Dominance - An imbalance of high estrogen / low progesterone can suppress activation of thyroid hormones that drive metabolism. Your best defense: If testing detects a problem, consider supplementing with natural (bioidentical) progesterone to re-balance estrogens...

The average person who can't lose weight - despite eating right and exercising - is generally frustrated and frankly stumped. For many, diet and exercise have always proven effective, and yet now - for some reason - they don't. Sometimes just a little. Sometimes not at all. Those who dig deeper often find that weight problems could be due to a sluggish thyroid. Feeling an inkling of hope, many ask their doctors to run a test, and lo' and behold the results often come back normal. How can that be? These results tend to stun - especially when weight gain continues...

Infertility is a heart breaking condition that affects millions of people around the world or approximately 8-12% of couples. When a couple has been trying over a year (under the age of 35) or over 6 months (over the age of 35) screening for hormonal causes is one of the first recommended steps. This is because sometimes simple adjustments to thyroid and/or progesterone can result in fertility. Fertility testing screens for numerous problems found in those with infertility. ZRT’s Fertility Profile looks at all the sex hormones and includes the recommended panel of tests by Resolve™, the national infertility association: Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone –...

Despite your best efforts to eat right, exercise, and take your vitamins every morning, If you cannot figure out why you are gaining weight or can no longer shed pounds easily like you used to – you might be walking around with a hormone imbalance that has you hardwired to put on pounds. Even when we think we’re being healthy, hormonal triggers to unwanted weight gain are too often neglected or overlooked. Testing can help you find the answer. But in the meantime, let’s boil this down to the collective wisdom on eight big culprits behind unwanted weight gain. 1. You have an...