PCOD Profile Basic

A Follicle Stimulating Hormone test measures the level of FSH in your body. FSH is produced and subsequently released into the blood by the pituitary gland. Its production is controlled by a feedback mechanism involving gonadotropin-releasing hormone situated in the hypothalamus in the brain. The released FSH travels through your blood and then attaches to receptors in the ovaries and testes and exerts its functional effects on the reproductive organs, such as sexual development, puberty and maturation. FSH levels vary throughout the menstrual cycle in response to estradiol and progesterone. Any disruption or issue in this feedback mechanism can prevent normal function of the testicles or ovaries. Thus determining its level provides crucial information regarding your health.    

The Luteinising Hormone test determines the level of luteinizing hormone that promotes the functioning of the gonads i.e,. testes in men and ovaries in women. LH is produced by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland situated at the base of the brain. The production and release of LH are controlled by a system known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. A hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone is released from the hypothalamus of the brain and binds on the cell receptors in the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn prompts the synthesis and release of luteinizing hormone. LH then travels across the blood and attaches to its target cells in the testes in men and ovaries in women, to facilitate optimal sexual and reproductive activities.

An Insulin Fasting test evaluates the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels by measuring the amount of insulin in the blood after an overnight fast. Glucose is a source of energy for the body to perform daily activities. Your body gets glucose from carbohydrates that are consumed in the diet. These carbohydrates are digested and converted into simple sugar (glucose). The cells then absorb the required amount of glucose to produce energy, and the remaining amount is stored in other forms, like fats. Insulin hormone helps the cells to uptake glucose from the blood for utilization and storage. Thus, it is necessary to maintain insulin levels in your body.

A fasting blood sugar test measures the glucose level in the body under overnight fasting conditions. Glucose serves as the body's energy currency and is broken down through metabolism to produce energy. Hormones and enzymes produced by the liver and pancreas control this process. The hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas, regulates blood glucose levels. When these levels are high, such as after a meal, insulin is secreted to transport glucose into cells for energy production. Elevated glucose levels in the body after fasting may indicate a risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes, which can be of two types- Type 1, caused by little or no insulin production, and Type 2, caused by insulin resistance or decreased insulin production.