This panel provides an assessment of hormones, which regulate metabolism and weight gain. Hormone imbalances can result in weight problems that are difficult to resolve. Imbalance between estrogen and progesterone levels can cause a condition called “estrogen dominance”, which is known to cause weight gain. Estrogen dominance causes insulin resistance and increase food cravings and inappropriate eating behaviors. Testosterone has an impact on metabolism, most notably blood sugar control, the abaility to put on muscle and fat regulation. This makes it important to measure HbA1c and androgen levels. The decline in testosterone and DHEA levels with age is the main reason why it is difficult for men and women at or beyond middle age to lose weight. Both an excess and deficiency of cortisol can impact sugar levels and thyroid function, trigger weight fluctuation and symptoms of low metabolism. Such hormone imbalances can cause increased inflammation, thereby resulting in weight gain. A key inflammatory marker hs-c-reactive protein is increased with increased weight. In addition to the factors mentioned above, lower vitamin D levels have been shown to be linked with obesity. In women both total and abdominal fat have been associated with lower vitamin D levels, but in men low vitamin D levels are associated with fat in the liver and abdomen. Results illustrate hormone levels with respect to normal reference ranges.
