Bespoke Panel 7 pairs a broad health check with a detailed male hormone profile from one venous sample. The health markers cover blood count, liver and kidney function (including uric acid), cholesterol, thyroid, HbA1c, CRP and vitamin D. The hormone section measures total and free testosterone with SHBG, oestradiol, LH, FSH and prolactin, plus total PSA.
Measuring the hormones that carry and regulate testosterone in the same sample reflects how UK guidance approaches a suspected testosterone problem, and the general markers add context, since thyroid, liver, metabolic and inflammatory factors all influence hormone levels.
What is measured
- Hormones: total and free testosterone, SHBG, oestradiol, LH, FSH, prolactin
- Prostate: total PSA
- Organ function: liver profile; kidney profile with uric acid
- Metabolic and heart: HbA1c, cholesterol profile
- Thyroid: TSH, free T4, free T3
- Also: full blood count, CRP, vitamin D
Useful for
- Reading testosterone alongside its regulating hormones and binding protein
- A general health baseline to discuss with your GP or another clinician
Sample: venous blood before 11am, fasting. Biomarkers: 16 listed tests and test groups. Included: laboratory analysis and a results report with reference ranges; interpretation is optional and priced separately.
Bespoke Panel 7
Hormones and prostate
- Total testosterone, SHBG, oestradiol, LH, FSH, prolactin, total PSA (measured).
- Free testosterone (usually calculated from total testosterone, SHBG and albumin; your report shows the method).
Organ function
- Liver profile: usually ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin and total protein (measured), with globulin (calculated).
- Kidney profile: sodium, urea, creatinine and uric acid (measured), eGFR (calculated). Potassium is not included.
Metabolic, thyroid and general
- HbA1c (measured).
- Cholesterol profile: total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides (measured); LDL (often calculated); non-HDL cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio (calculated).
- TSH, free T4, free T3 (measured).
- Full blood count: parameters depend on the laboratory.
- CRP and vitamin D (measured).
The hormone axis
The hypothalamus signals the pituitary to release LH and FSH. LH drives testosterone production in the testes and FSH supports sperm production; rising testosterone then damps both down. Together they show whether a low testosterone starts in the testes (LH high) or the pituitary (LH low or normal). Prolactin, when raised, can suppress this axis. Most testosterone is bound to SHBG, which rises with age and an overactive thyroid and falls with obesity and insulin resistance, so free testosterone is estimated to show the unbound share.
Metabolism, liver and kidneys
HbA1c averages blood glucose over roughly two to three months. Low testosterone and type 2 diabetes often occur together. The liver makes SHBG and albumin; ALT and GGT rise when liver cells are irritated, while ALP and bilirubin reflect bile flow. Creatinine, from muscle, is used to estimate kidney filtration (eGFR). Uric acid comes from purine breakdown and can crystallise in joints as gout.
Thyroid, blood, inflammation and vitamin D
Thyroid hormones affect SHBG and energy levels, so thyroid problems can distort hormone results. The blood count checks for anaemia and raised haematocrit; CRP is made by the liver in response to inflammation; vitamin D is measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D. PSA, made by the prostate, responds to enlargement, infection and inflammation as well as cancer.
Results are shown with the laboratory's reference ranges, which vary between laboratories and, for hormones, by sex and age. A single result slightly outside a range is common.
Hormones
For men with symptoms, the Society for Endocrinology and ACB use morning, fasting thresholds: two results below 8 nmol/L suggest deficiency, 8 to 12 nmol/L needs careful assessment, and above 12 nmol/L makes deficiency unlikely. Calculated free testosterone adds most when SHBG is high or low, and direct free testosterone methods are not recommended. Prolactin can be raised by the stress of a blood test, some medicines and a harmless form called macroprolactin, so a raised result is usually repeated.
Metabolic, liver and kidney
An HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol or above is consistent with diabetes, and 42 to 47 indicates non-diabetic hyperglycaemia; anaemia and kidney disease can make HbA1c misleading. The British Society of Gastroenterology notes GGT is most often raised by obesity, alcohol and medicines, and that an isolated raised bilirubin is commonly Gilbert's syndrome, a harmless trait affecting around 5 to 8% of people. NICE notes eGFR is less reliable at extremes of muscle mass; creatine supplements also raise creatinine. In people with gout symptoms, NICE uses a uric acid of 360 micromol/L or above to support diagnosis; a raised level without symptoms does not mean gout.
Other markers
CRP rises after infection, injury and hard exercise. Vitamin D below 25 nmol/L is generally regarded as deficient. Thyroid results are usually repeated after six weeks before conclusions are drawn. If PSA is above the laboratory's range, we will advise you to see your GP and, with consent, Juvenology can write to your GP.
Low energy, reduced libido and low mood rarely have a single cause. This panel checks the testosterone axis alongside common non-hormonal explanations such as anaemia, thyroid dysfunction, raised glucose, low vitamin D and liver or kidney problems, which can make a follow-up conversation with your GP more productive.
More results also mean more chance of a borderline value that needs repeating. Juvenology does not prescribe testosterone or other hormone treatment, and no result confirms eligibility for treatment.
May be suitable for
- Men with symptoms who want testosterone assessed with SHBG, LH, FSH and prolactin
- Adults wanting a general health baseline that includes hormones
Probably not the right choice if
- you have urinary symptoms, chest pain or unexplained weight loss: contact your GP
- you need potassium or a urine test, which are not included
- you do not have a prostate: PSA is not relevant, and female hormones need cycle timing
- you work night shifts, which alters the morning testosterone peak
With age, SHBG tends to rise, so free testosterone can fall more than total testosterone; kidney filtration gradually declines, HbA1c drifts upward and PSA rises with prostate size. Observational research links low testosterone, raised uric acid, raised CRP and low vitamin D with poorer cardiometabolic health, but these are associations, not proof that changing the number improves health. A blood panel cannot measure how fast someone is ageing.
- Before 11am, fasting: water only from the night before.
- Meat: NICE advises no meat for 12 hours before an eGFR test, as cooked meat can raise creatinine.
- PSA: for 48 hours, avoid ejaculation, anal sex, breathless exercise and cycling (NHS advice); wait 4 to 6 weeks after a urinary infection has cleared.
- Exercise and alcohol: avoid unusually hard training and alcohol for a couple of days.
- Medicines and supplements: continue prescribed medicines. Mention creatine and high-dose biotin, which can affect creatinine and hormone or thyroid immunoassays.
- Illness: rebook if unwell.
Choose how your sample is taken when you book. We confirm the collection option, any collection fee and the expected turnaround time before you book.
- Juvenology Clinic, Maidstone (82 King Street, Maidstone ME14 1BH): Available.
- Partner collection location, including London: Available on request. We confirm availability for your postcode before you book.
- Postal home finger-prick kit: Ask before ordering. We offer a home kit only where the laboratory confirms this test is suitable for a finger-prick sample.
Sample: Venous blood: serum plus whole blood (EDTA) for the full blood count and HbA1c (tube types confirmed by the laboratory)
Collection notes: Fasting sample before 11am, when not acutely ill (testosterone). No meat for 12 hours before (eGFR). Avoid ejaculation, vigorous exercise and cycling for 48 hours (PSA). The number of tests makes a finger-prick sample unlikely to be sufficient; offer a home kit only if the laboratory confirms volume and stability for every test.
The price of this test covers laboratory analysis and the laboratory's results report. The report lists each result beside the laboratory's reference range.
Beyond the blood test: optional support, priced separately
- Personalised written interpretation report: £50
- General consultation: £50
- Results consultation (results discussion and follow-up advice): £100
- Personalised programme: from £150, after we assess whether a programme suits you
Consultations are with Marina, an NMC-registered nurse with an Executive MSc in Longevity from the Geneva College of Longevity Science. She explains what your results show and how they relate to lifestyle. No prescription service is offered with these tests.
If a result suggests you need medical follow-up, we will recommend that you see your GP and, with your consent, can provide a letter to take with you. A blood test cannot rule out every condition. If you have symptoms, speak to your GP or NHS 111, and call 999 in an emergency.
How is this different from Bespoke Panel 6?
Panel 6 measures testosterone, oestradiol, PSA and a blood count. Panel 7 adds SHBG, free testosterone, LH, FSH and prolactin, plus liver, kidney, cholesterol, thyroid, HbA1c, CRP and vitamin D.
Is free testosterone measured directly?
UK laboratories usually calculate it from total testosterone, SHBG and albumin, and UK guidance does not recommend direct methods. Your report shows how it was obtained.
Why is uric acid included?
It is linked with gout and kidney stones and often rises with other metabolic markers. Without symptoms, a raised level does not mean gout.
Can I take this test while on testosterone treatment?
Yes. Test at the point in your dosing cycle your prescriber recommends, send them the report, and do not change treatment without their advice.
Is interpretation included?
The price covers analysis and the laboratory report. You can add a written interpretation report (£50) or a results discussion consultation (£100).
- Jayasena CN, de Silva NL, O'Reilly MW, et al. Standardising the biochemical confirmation of adult male hypogonadism: a joint position statement by the Society for Endocrinology and Association of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10357891
- Thyroid disease: assessment and management (NG145). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2019. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145
- Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification (NG238). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2023. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng238
- Chronic kidney disease: assessment and management (NG203). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203
- Gout: diagnosis and management (NG219). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng219
- Newsome PN, et al. Guidelines on the management of abnormal liver blood tests. Gut, 2018. https://gut.bmj.com/content/67/1/6
- PSA test. NHS, 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/psa-test/
