Normal Range For Luteinizing Hormone

List Of Normal Hormone Levels In Women

Hormones are substances produced by the body that have chemical effects on other parts of the body. Women produce hormones, such as estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone , luteinizing hormone and progesterone. Certain hormones rise at various times of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. Hormone levels also change at menopause.

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What If Ovulation Tests Never Show A Positive Result

If you didnt ovulate in your current or most recent cycle, you may be wondering if its going to happen again. Its possible that youve experienced an anovulatory cycle, a fairly common occurrence that happens in about a third of normal menstrual cycles. Anovulatory cycles are nothing to be worried about and can occur from time to time.

Try testing again next month to determine if you ovulate . If you notice you havent ovulated in multiple consecutive cycles, you may want to talk to your doctor about what steps to take moving forward.

Why Take The Lh Test

The test is also needed to check the proper functioning of the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Your LH levels also need to be checked if you have symptoms such as irregular menstrual periods, absence of menstruation, low testosterone levels, low sex drive as well as low muscle mass in men. Symptoms of low testosterone include feeling tired and weak, depressed, experiencing erectile dysfunctions and noticing changes in sleep habits.

If you feel weak and tired, lose weight for no reason, and have a decreased appetite then, you may have problems in your pituitary gland that may be detected by testing your LH levels.

The LH test is considered to be a predictive test indicating ovulation however, it cannot confirm if ovulation occurred.

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The Effect Of Reduced Lh Levels On Reproductive Outcome

The introduction of the GnRH agonist into the ovarian stimulation regimen resulted in a significant improvement in outcome with IVF treatment because cycle cancellation resulting from a premature surge in LH levels was reduced significantly and pregnancy rates were increased. However, GnRH agonist administration results in levels of LH during the phase of follicular development that are lower than in spontaneous cycles raising concerns that the levels of LH may be insufficient to support folliculogenesis particularly when recombinant FSH alone is used for ovarian stimulation. Measurement of serum LH levels on day 7 of stimulation in normogonadotropic women permitted the evaluation of different threshold levels on reproductive outcome using receiver operator characteristic curves. It was evident that regardless of the cut-off level selected , no adverse effect was observed on pregnancy and miscarriage rates. Similarly, in another study on day 8 of stimulation levels of LH, 1.5 IU/L were not associated with any detrimental effect on clinical pregnancy rates. However, when the cut-off level was > 1.5 IU/L, reduction in fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates was observed. Collectively, these observations indicate that although GnRH agonist is very effective in preventing an LH surge, the resulting low levels LH are sufficient to permit folliculogenesis despite the fact that no exogenous LH is administered.

What Is A Luteinizing Hormone Levels Test

This test measures the level of luteinizing hormone in your blood. LH is made by your pituitary gland, a small gland located underneath the brain. LH plays an important role in sexual development and functioning.

• In women, LH helps control the menstrual cycle. It also triggers the release of an egg from the ovary. This is known as ovulation. LH levels quickly rise just before ovulation.
• In men, LH causes the testicles to make testosterone, which is important for producing sperm. Normally, LH levels in men do not change very much.
• In children, LH levels are usually low in early childhood, and begin to rise a couple of years before the start of puberty. In girls, LH helps signal the ovaries to make estrogen. In boys, it helps signal the testes to make testosterone.

Too much or too little LH can cause a variety of problems, including infertility , menstrual difficulties in women, low sex drive in men, and early or delayed puberty in children.

Other names: lutropin, interstitial cell stimulating hormone

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Conditions Associated With Decreased Lh

Hypothalamic causes are as follows:

• Stress-related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Pituitary causes are as follows:

• Hypothalamic/pituitary surgery or radiation

Luteal phase dysfunction is another condition associated with decreased LH.

Specifics for collection and panels are as follows:

• Specimen type: Blood serum

Related tests are as follows:

• Follicle-stimulating hormone

The Relationship Between Luteinizing Hormone And Hyperandrogenism

Some studies tend to imply that LH excess worsens hyperandrogenism through ovarian stimulation of androgenesis. This is unlikely to be valid despite the fact that a major neuroendocrine component of PCOS involves alterations in LH secretion, and primary LH excess has long been considered the cause of the excess ovarian androgen secretion in PCOS. This concept simply arose because of the known stimulatory effect of LH on theca cell function and the elevation of serum LH levels at baseline and in response to GnRH in classic PCOS. In hyperandrogenemic girls destined to develop PCOS, the nocturnal increase in ovarian steroids may not be adequate to suppress the GnRH pulse generator, leading to a persistently rapid LH pulse frequency, impaired FSH production, and inadequate follicular development.

The defect in steroidogenesis must be the result of escape from normal downregulation of thecal cell secretion rather than over-stimulation by LH. If we accept these results, then the fundamental defect underlying the androgen excess of PCOS is ovarian hyper-responsiveness to gonadotrophin action because of escape from downregulation and not a primary result of excess LH per se. Taken together, all these observations suggest that dysregulation of androgen biosynthesis is an intrinsic property of PCOS theca cells. Hence, the evidence suggests that LH is not a major player in the hyperandrogenism of PCOS, and excess LH may be a consequence of the metabolic alterations in PCOS.

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What Are The Risks Associated With A Luteinizing Hormone Blood Test

There arent many risks associated with having blood drawn. The needle site may bruise afterwards, but if you put pressure on it with a bandage, you can reduce this possibility.

Phlebitis, while rare, may occur when blood is drawn. This is when the vein becomes inflamed after blood is taken. If it occurs, your healthcare provider will likely have you apply a warm compress to the vein throughout the day. If you have any kind of bleeding disorder, make sure to tell your doctor to avoid complications from having blood drawn.

Luteinizing Hormone Test Procedure Preparation And Normal Range

The luteinizing hormone test is a blood test performed to measure the levels of the luteinizing hormone in the blood.The luteinizing hormone is an important hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland, located at the base of the brain. The luteinizing hormone is essential for the health of the reproductive systems of both men and women, and it acts on the testes and the ovaries respectively. The pituitary gland also produces other hormones such as the Follicle Stimulating Hormone , the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone , and the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin along with the luteinizing hormone.

The luteinizing hormone test is usually accompanied by a test to measure the FSH levels in blood, because both these hormones are essential for the reproductive system, and a deep analysis of the patients symptoms, his/her general health, and the hormonal profile will help a doctor understand the real problem causing abnormality in the LH levels, and, thus, determine the right line of treatment.

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Understanding The Results Of An Lh Test

Your doctor can tell you when results of your test will be available and will discuss the meaning of your levels with you. According to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the following values are normal LH blood levels measured in international units per liter :

• women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: 1.9 to 12.5 IU/L
• women at the peak of the menstrual cycle: 8.7 to 76.3 IU/L
• women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle: 0.5 to 16.9 IU/L
• pregnant women: less than 1.5 IU/L
• women past menopause: 15.9 to 54.0 IU/L
• women using contraceptives: 0.7 to 5.6 IU/L
• men between the ages of 20 and 70: 0.7 to 7.9 IU/L
• men over 70: 3.1 to 34.0 IU/L

While each result can vary based on your unique condition, some general interpretations of LH results can include the following.

What Is A Normal Lh Level On Different Days Of The Cycle

The fact that many manufacturers of ovulation test kits use a single threshold for all uterus owners might lead you to think that there are thresholds that predict ovulation for everyone, and/or that there is a well-defined, narrow window of what normal LH looks like before ovulation and across different cycle days.

Just like there is a range of whats considered normal for the Modern Fertility Hormone Test , we can use data from a large enough pool of people to figure out what typical levels of urinary LH are across different days of the cycle:

• According to one of the largest studies that analyzed LH daily and used ultrasound to confirm the timing of ovulation, there is quite the range in what LH values we can expect across different cycle days, and this range is the largest 24 hours before ovulation.
• In the graphic below, we show median LH , and the distribution of reported LH values, minus the upper 10% and lower 10%. This is also called an 80% reference range all the values that constitute the middle 80% of the distribution of LH.
• While some studies or labs choose to report 80%, 90%, or 95% reference ranges, the study these data come from chose to use an 80% reference range.

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When Should You Start Testing For An Lh Surge

The exact guidelines for how you should use ovulation tests depend on how regular and long your cycles are. The textbook 28-day cycle sees ovulation occurring on day 14. In these cases, ovulation test manufacturers recommend starting to test a couple of days before the anticipated day of ovulation.

Chances are, though, that you dont have a textbook cycle simply because most people dont. Cycles are commonly shorter or longer than 28 days, and it isnt always the case that ovulation happens exactly in the middle of the cycle. If this sounds like you, the conservative approach would be to start testing a couple of days after your period ends and to continue testing until you get indications that ovulation is coming up:

Preparing For The Test

Some drugs can cause Luteinizing hormone to increase, such as anticonvulsants, clomiphene, and naloxone, while others cause LH to decrease, such as digoxin, oral contraceptives, and hormone treatments.

So inform your doctor about all medications you are taking before going for this test.

Also, stop taking any hormonal pills like oral contraceptives at least 4 weeks prior to this test.

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What Do My Test Results Mean

Many things may affect your lab test results. These include the method each lab uses to do the test. Even if your test results are different from the normal value, you may not have a problem. To learn what the results mean for you, talk with your healthcare provider.

Results are given in international units per liter . The normal range for a woman varies, depending on her menstrual cycle. Here are normal ranges:

• Men: 1.24 to 7.8 IU/L

• Women, follicular phase of menstrual cycle: 1.68 to 15 IU/L

• Women, midcycle peak: 21.9 to 56.6 IU/L

• Women, luteal phase: 0.61 to 16.3 IU/L

• Women, postmenopausal: 14.2 to 52.3 IU/L

• Girls, ages 1 to 10 years: 0.03 to 3.9 IU/L

If you’re a woman, abnormally high levels of LH during non-ovulatory times in your menstrual cycle may mean you are in menopause. It may also mean that you have a pituitary disorder or polycystic ovary syndrome. Low levels of LH may mean you have a pituitary disorder, anorexia, malnutrition, or are under stress.

If you’re a man, abnormally high LH levels along with low levels of testosterone may mean that your testicles aren’t responding to LH’s signal to make more testosterone. Low levels of LH may mean that your pituitary gland isn’t making enough LH. That can lead to too little testosterone creation.

Effect Of High Levels Of Lh On Reproductive Outcome

Adverse outcomes from elevated serum LH levels have been observed in a variety of studies. A significant reduction in the rate of fertilization was observed in women with raised basal LH levels undergoing treatment with IVF with ovarian stimulation using clomiphene citrate , hMG or a combination of the two. In another study, in women undergoing IVF treatment with a combination of CC and hMG, there were no pregnancies recorded if the urinary output of LH was elevated when measured two days prior to the day of hCG administration. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome, the effect on outcome of the high endogenous levels of LH was observed in a study using pulsatile GnRH to induce ovulation basal LH levels were lower in women who conceived compared to those who did not, and the rate of miscarriage was higher in those who had elevated levels of LH compared to those who had ongoing pregnancies. The effect of raised LH levels in the follicular phase of spontaneous menstrual cycles was also investigated and found to be detrimental. A higher likelihood of pregnancy was observed when the LH level was < 10 IU/L and the miscarriage rate was significantly higher in women with LH levels > 10 IU/L.

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How Do I Track Lh

Taking an ovulation test is the easiest way to track LH at home. Ovulation tests measure LH levels in your urine to determine if youre ovulating or not. Many such tests have two lines, the control and the test line. . You can determine how much LH is in your urine by paying attention to how dark your test line is. If you get a positive result, you know your LH level has reached 25 IU/L, when the baseline level is usually between 2-14.5 IU/L

What Foods Increase Luteinizing Hormone

A handful of studies have explored the relationship between vegetarian diets and low levels of LH and estrogen. Currently, no evidence shows that vegetarian diets reduce LH levels. Related, no evidence supports the thinking that food or diet can increase LH levels.

Speak with your healthcare provider about diet and lifestyle recommendations to improve your overall health, including habits that support brain functioning and reproductive health.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Your LH levels can reveal important information about how your sex organs and your pituitary gland are working. If your provider orders an LH test, ask them how the results will shed light on your reproductive health.

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What Happens During A Luteinizing Hormone Test

You donât need to do anything special to prepare for this test.

The health care worker who takes blood for your test will wipe the inside of your elbow with a germ-killing liquid. Youâll have an elastic band around the upper part of your arm.

To collect the sample for the test, the health care worker inserts a thin needle into a vein in your arm, and the blood flows into a vial. You might feel a sting when the needle goes in.

When the vial is full, the tech or nurse will remove the needle and the tourniquet. Youâll get a bandage to stop the bleeding. The whole thing takes only a few minutes.

You might feel lightheaded after the test. You also might develop a bruise at the puncture site.

Your doctor may also check your level of something called follicle-stimulating hormone â or FSH â at the same time.

Is Lh Needed In The Late Follicular Phase

The real or presumed benefits of various gonadotrophin preparations were brought up by a number of researchers. A study done on 50 young normal responders analysed results obtained with recombinant FSH and human menopausal gonadotrophin during in-vitro fertilization . They underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment for male factor infertility and were given either HMG or rFSH after luteal phase downregulation with depot gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist . The researchers found that in the HMG group, the length of stimulation was shorter and fewer ampoules of gonadotrophin were needed to get the cycle to the retrieval stage. Serum LH and estradiol levels were also higher. On the other hand, with rFSH stimulation, more follicles were seen during stimulation, more oocytes were retrieved, more mature oocytes were obtained, and more embryos were available for transfer. There was no difference in the implantation and pregnancy rates, however. The same study also discussed the results of midcycle LH measurements in GnRHa-downregulated IVF cycles that resulted in conception and those that did not. They did not find a significant difference between LH levels measured in conception and non-conception cycles. Further, they did not find a difference in LH levels between cycles that resulted in ongoing pregnancies and pregnancy loss.

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Urine Test For Ovulation

To find out if you are ovulating, a sample of your first urine of the morning is usually tested. It is important to follow the package directions exactly if you are doing the test yourself at home.

• Place the collection container into the stream of urine. Collect about 4 Tbsp of urine.
• Do not touch the rim of the container to your genital area. And do not get toilet paper, pubic hair, stool , menstrual blood, or other foreign matter in the urine sample.
• Finish urinating into the toilet.

You may also be given a plastic test strip to hold in the urine stream. The test strip has a color indicator on it that can detect luteinizing hormone .