At Ora, labs are part of your plan. Most members go to a lab location; if you prefer, you can add at-home testing and have your blood drawn at home. Either way, the same rules apply: how you prepare affects how accurate your results are.
How it works
- You book a time. For most men, that's early in the morning.
- You visit a lab location, or, with at-home testing, a phlebotomist comes to you.
- The draw takes a few minutes. Several small tubes are filled, one for each group of tests.
- Samples go to a lab for testing.
- Your doctor reviews every result with you and explains what's normal, what isn't, and what it means for your plan.
Why morning matters for testosterone
Testosterone is usually highest in the morning and falls through the day. That's why clinical guidelines recommend measuring it in the early morning, and confirming a low result with a second early-morning test before making a diagnosis.
An afternoon test can make a normal level look low. Booking your draw for the morning avoids that.
How to prepare
- Follow the fasting instructions you're given. Some tests, such as blood sugar, are most accurate after an overnight fast. Water is fine.
- Drink water. Being well hydrated makes the draw easier.
- Tell your doctor about supplements. High-dose biotin, common in hair and nail supplements, can interfere with some lab tests.
- Keep your routine. A very hard workout, a night of little sleep or heavy drinking the day before can shift some results. If something unusual happened, mention it.
- Wear sleeves that roll up easily.
What a complete panel covers
A baseline panel before any treatment usually includes hormones (testosterone, estradiol, SHBG), thyroid, a blood count, blood sugar and A1c, cholesterol, liver and kidney function, vitamins and, when appropriate for your age and history, PSA. Your doctor adds tests based on your symptoms and goals.
A full test before medication
The point of a complete panel is to treat the cause, not the symptom. Fatigue can come from low iron, thyroid problems or poor sleep as easily as from low testosterone. That's why at Ora no medication is prescribed until your doctor has reviewed the full picture.
See how lab work works at Ora, or read why one testosterone test isn't enough.
Sources
- Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(5):1715–1744. doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-00229
