Summary The Lab 21 Salivary Adrenal Stress Profile measures the individual's response to stress by evaluating bioactive levels of the body's vital stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA. If levels of these hormones in the body are abnormal, numerous symptoms of chronic illness can manifest, including weakness, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. To order the test see www.lab21.com.

Lab 21 Healthcare offer clinical laboratory services and diagnostic products to healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Their Salivary Adrenal Stress Profile, which tests both levels of DHEA and cortisol is £69.

Stress is a major underlying cause of many chronic illnesses, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and environmental allergies. A high level of stress can lead to consistently high levels of cortisol in the blood and saliva.

The adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, produce adrenaline, which triggers the instant stress hormone response, also known as 'fight or flight' reaction. They also produce cortisol and DHEA, responsible for short and long term stress hormone responses. Cortisol suppresses the immune system, increases blood sugar levels, lowers bone formation and elevates blood pressure. DHEA, balances the stress response by activating the immune system, guarding against degenerative conditions associated with aging and building up tissues.

These hormones are essential and must be in balance for an individual to be healthy. It is normal for levels of cortisol to increase in times of stress, providing the stress is not ongoing and the adrenal glands are able to recuperate. If the stress is unrelenting the adrenal glands are in a continuing state of alert and unable to recover, which can eventually lead to adrenal failure.

Higher and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream can cause impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, decreased bone density, a decrease in muscle tissue, lowered immunity, osteoporosis, raised blood pressure and increased abdominal fat.

Low DHEA levels have been linked with immune dysregulation, arthritis, osteoporosis, insomina, depression, fatigue, insulin resistance, obesity, Alzheimers disease, cardiovascular disease and decreased libido.

The Adrenal Stress Test

The adrenal stress test can indicate adrenal imbalances that may be impacting on a patient's health, by evaluating your DHEA and cortisol levels using four saliva samples collected over a 24 hour period.

Salivary samples must be taken throughout the day at 8am, 12 noon, 4pm and midnight. For an hour before each sample is taken you must not eat or drink anything. The test is easy to conduct and Lab21 provide detailed instructions of how to complete the stress test. The only difficulty for me was that I usually go to bed at 9pm, so staying up until 12pm slightly stressed me out! After each saliva sample is taken you must refrigerate it (Lab 21 provide tubes for you to collect the samples) and once all the samples have been taken you simply post it back to Lab21 in the FREEPOST box provided. The results take between one and two weeks to arrive. The whole process is very simple and non-invasive.

I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, so I was actually quite surprised that the test came back largely normal. The report sent by Lab21 is fairly self-explanatory, with your levels of DHEA and cortisol shown at each of the times the samples were taken. They also provide the references ranges, so you can see where your results lie within the reference range (as per the image below).



Lab21 provide the tests but do not interpret the results for you, so if there are any abnormalities or queries you will need to contact a health practitioner. You may also decide to get the tests with Lab21 through your health practitioner, for instance Dr Myhill (a medical doctor specialising in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) uses Lab21 for some of her diagnostic tests, including the adrenal stress profile.

What do the results indicate?

Raised cortisol, with normal DHEA levels demonstrates a normal short term stress response. Raised levels of both cortisol and DHEA indicates that the adrenal gland is functioning normally, but the patient is chronically stressed. High levels of cortisol and low levels of DHEA suggest that the body is unable to produce enough DHEA to counteract the effects of the cortisol. This signals the onset of adrenal exhaustion and is implicated in accelerated ageing. Low cortisol and DHEA levels are a signal that the adrenal gland is too exhausted to produce cortisol or DHEA. At this point patients are usually suffereing from extreme fatigue. Finally, if cortisol levels are low and DHEA is normal this can indicate that the glands are starting to recuperate after a period of rest.

Treatment

Treatment for cortisol and DHEA imbalances may include supplementation with hydrocortisone and DHEA, which should be prescribed by a medical professional. Those with adrenal insufficiency problems may also benefit from lifestyle and dietary changes that promote relaxation, reduced stress and healthy nutrition to balance blood sugar levels. In instances of abnormal results other tests may also be required to determine if the patient has related health problems/illnesses.

Overall, the Adrenal Stress Profile is simple to take from the comfort of your own home, or even during your working day and is a reliable indicator of

your body's stress response.

You can order tests from Lab21 on their website at www.lab21.com.

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