Estrone (E1) Test

An Estrone (E1) Test is a blood test used to measure or monitor hormone levels in men and women. Women who are experiencing unexplained abnormal vaginal bleeding or menstrual cycles, fatigue, infertility, mood swings or any other hormonal alterations are advised to undertake this test. Men with unexplained hormonal alterations like fatigue, mood swings, loss of muscle tone or suffering from erectile dysfunction are advised by the doctors to undertake this test. The increase or decrease in the estrogen levels as shown in the test result helps the doctor to evaluate the potential cause of the patient’s symptoms.

There is no need for fasting for this test. You can eat and drink normally. If you are taking any medications related to hormonal imbalance, it is advisable to take them 2 hours prior to the test as they can interfere with the test results. For a woman, the timing of collection of the blood sample will be correlated with her menstrual cycle. For premenopausal women, blood needs to be drawn around 8 days prior to the next cycle of menstruation. For postmenopausal women there are no such restrictions.

Increased levels of estrone (E1) indicate:
Women:
Tumors of the ovary or adrenal glands.
Men:
Tumors of the testicles.
Enlarged breasts (gynecomastia).
Both Men and Women:
Cirrhosis- a liver disease, due to excessive fibrosis in the liver tissue.
Hyperthyroidism- increased function of the thyroid gland.
Decreased levels of estrone (E1) indicate:
Women:
Decreased function of the ovaries or testes (hypogonadism).
Turner syndrome (a disorder caused by the presence of a single copy of the X chromosome instead of the normal two copies, in females).
Anorexia nervosa.
Abnormal fetal developmental issues during pregnancy.

An alcohol pad is used to clean the skin. A needle is then injected through the part of the rinsed skin into your vein. The blood is then dragged out from the needle by a nozzle, saved in a vessel and sealed with your name. This sample is then sent to the research laboratory for examination. In some cases, urine samples are also taken in a container and refrigerated for examination.