Saliva tests, part 2: salivary hormones, hormone replacement pharmacokinetics, and the importance of timely testing.

Published research has substantiated the accuracy of saliva testing in determining the values of specific hormones such as the major estrogens (estradiol, estrone, estriol), progesterone, androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone, testerone, 5a-dihydrotestosterone), cortisol, and melatonin. When compared with serum testing, saliva testing also offers multiple advantages in cost and convenience. In this second of a two-part series, we discuss in greater detail the types of hormones that can be accurately identified in saliva samples, the pharmacokinetics of hormone replacelment therapy,and the importance of timely testing.