Measuring human hormones is, nowadays, an almost indispensable diagnostic process for the correct treatment of multiple pathologies. Without precise values, it becomes difficult for the treating physician to define the best therapy, both in cases of substance imbalances and in disorders involving the circadian rhythm, such as insomnia. To help with this, there is the DUTCH hormonal test.
Now, it has always been a challenge to find the ideal complementary test to obtain the hormone values of clinical interest. Both laboratories that focus on blood, as well as those that do so on saliva and urine, encounter the difficulty involved in sample collection.
Since these are substances with large variations throughout the day, the timing of the collection is fundamental, as well as the patient’s state, who should not be altered, anxious, or with a notable change in routine. Thus, the DUTCH ® hormonal test, as we will see below, facilitates overcoming these obstacles.
This treatment is only available under individual medical assessment and prescription.
What is the DUTCH hormonal test?
The DUTCH ® hormonal test gets its name as an acronym from the English words that make up its title: Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. The most complete of the commercial options is the complete version that involves the measurement of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA), diurnal cortisol and its pattern, free cortisone, tetrahydrocortisol a-THF and b-THF, tetrahydrocortisone b-THE, metabolized cortisol, progesterone metabolites, androgen metabolites, estrogen metabolites, organic acids, the neurotransmitter 8-OHdG and a form of melatonin known as 6-OH-melatonin sulfate.
All of this is measured in urine, unlike other modalities that use blood and saliva. Moreover, the DUTCH ® hormonal test is capable of providing the professional with the result of substances that are only detected in this bodily fluid and not in the others, so it provides significant information.
Not to mention that to the typical hormones, fatty acids and neurotransmitters linked to oxidative stress are added. In this way, it is possible to have a general overview of the cellular aging process, which can be responsible for imbalances and alterations in the circadian rhythm.
The great advantage of the method is that it is performed at home, as we will explain later. The patient has the collection device at home and does not have to go to a specific laboratory for a blood draw nor alter their routine. As we have anticipated, regularity is improved in access to more reliable data.
How is the DUTCH hormonal test sample collected?
The device that collects the sample for the DUTCH ® hormonal test is taken by the patient to their home once acquired. At Long Life Clinic, the complete kit is available for a value of 350 euros; for this, a prior consultation is necessary.
If it is a woman of childbearing age, it must be considered that urine collection should be done between days 19 and 22 of the regular menstrual cycle. Doing it at another time can alter the biochemical parameters. On the other hand, if it is a man or a postmenopausal woman, there are no restrictions regarding the days.
What you do need to be specific about is the schedules. It is necessary that urine is collected in the device 5 times, during a 24-hour period, so that it is 2 days that distribute the presence of the samples. The specific moments are the following:
- At dinner time: approximately at 5 in the afternoon and taking care not to ingest coffee, alcohol or large amounts of liquid afterwards.
- At bedtime: around 10 at night.
- During any nighttime awakening: if the patient wakes up during their sleep, they should collect once, but not in the subsequent opportunities that interrupt rest.
- Upon waking: in the morning, when the person opens their eyes to start their day, without delaying it more than 10 minutes.
- 2 hours after waking.
Considerations to have to improve the result
The DUTCH ® hormonal test is collected at home at 5 different times of the day. The device absorbs the urine, it is left to dry for 24 hours and then closed. Once all samples are dry, they are placed in a plastic bag to return to the provider.
The stability of the sample is not a big problem. Precisely, the method is safe because it uses the urine drying technique on filter paper. There will be no modification of the characteristics of the substances to be measured as time passes. Anyway, it is recommended that, as soon as possible, the plastic bag be delivered. Otherwise, it should be refrigerated to maximize conservation.
The restriction of coffee, alcohol and other food substances is important. We can mention bananas, for example, as well as avocado and beans. These products interfere with hormones and with fatty acids in a natural way, which could lead to erroneous results.
In case of being a patient with regular consumption of artificial hormones, DHEA supplements or corticosteroids, the consultation with the medical professional takes precedence to determine if to temporarily suspend or not. Each particular case should be evaluated, establishing the risk or benefit of doing so.
The combination between hormones, nutrition, medication intake, lifestyle and routines determine circadian rhythm disorders
What is the utility of the DUTCH ® hormonal test?
The first and great clinical utility of the DUTCH ® hormonal test is its practicality. This improves the final result, since the possibilities of alterations of the circadian rhythm are reduced when taking the samples. In the same way, the patient does not go through the stress of a blood extraction.
Studies have shown that measurements in urine fulfill the same medical function as those performed in blood. With these data it is possible to diagnose metabolic disorders, evaluate the state of cellular aging and corroborate the nutritional changes that would be necessary to apply.
Neurotransmitters, hormones and nutrients are correlated in a complex way. Failing to consider any of these components can induce errors in the therapeutic approach. Because the DUTCH hormonal test does not leave too many parameters to chance, it is possible to detect causes of insomnia up to processes of oxidative stress, through the estimation of the risk of suffering chronic inflammatory pathologies.
There are not too many doubts about the advantages of this method. It is necessary to remember that precision in hormonal measurement can mean the difference between a correct diagnosis and a delay in the appropriate therapy.
