What Are Normal Estradiol Levels?
Estradiol is a hormone, specifically a type of estrogen, made in a woman's ovaries. Doctors often order the test to determine how well the ovaries are functioning for women suffering from infertility or having menopause symptoms.
-
The Test
-
The estradiol test typically occurs on day three of a woman's menstrual cycle (with day one being the first day of the menstrual period) by evaluating blood taken from the patient's arm.
Normal Levels
-
Normal level results for the estradiol test are not clearly defined, according to the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. They like to see levels lower than 80 picograms per milliliter.
-
Abnormal Levels
-
Levels higher than the normal range can indicate poor ovarian reserve (the supply of a women's remaining eggs) or poor ovulation.
Significance
-
Abnormal estradiol levels can indicate that a woman would have reduced response to ovulation-induction medications (such as clomiphene) and decreased chances of successful in-vitro fertilization.
Considerations
-
The test for normal levels of estradiol is often done in conjunction with follicle-stimulating hormone test, according to the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. Follicle-stimulating hormone is the hormone that produces mature follicles (or eggs).
-
References
- Photo Credit matériel médical image by Régis Godet from Fotolia.com
