Luteinizing hormone (LH) blood test
ICSH - blood test; Luteinizing hormone - blood test; Interstitial cell stimulating hormone - blood testThe LH blood test measures the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in blood. LH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on the underside of the brain.
How the Test is Performed
Blood sample is needed
Venipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein. It is most often done for laboratory testing.
How to Prepare for the Test
Your health care provider will ask you to temporarily stop medicines that may affect the test results. Be sure to tell your provider about all the medicines you take. These include:
- Birth control pills
- Hormone therapy
- Testosterone
- DHEA (a supplement)
If you are a woman of childbearing age, the test may need to be done on a specific day of your menstrual cycle. Tell your provider if you have recently been exposed to radioisotopes, such as during a nuclear medicine test.
How the Test will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.
Why the Test is Performed
In women, an increase in LH level at mid-cycle causes release of eggs (ovulation). Your provider will order this test to see if:
- You are ovulating, when you are having trouble getting pregnant or have periods that are not regular
- You have reached menopause
If you are a man, the test may be ordered if you have signs of infertility or lowered sex drive. The test may be ordered if you have signs of a pituitary gland problem.
Pituitary gland
Endocrine glands release (secrete) hormones into the bloodstream. The endocrine glands include:AdrenalHypothalamusIslets of Langerhans in the pancrea...
Normal Results
Normal results for adult women are:
- Before menopause: 5 to 25 IU/L
- Level peaks even higher around the middle of the menstrual cycle
- Level then becomes higher after menopause: 14.2 to 52.3 IU/L
LH levels are normally low during childhood.
Normal result for men over 18 years of age is around 1.8 to 8.6 IU/L.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test result.
What Abnormal Results Mean
In women, a higher than normal level of LH is seen:
- When women of childbearing age are not ovulating
- When there is an imbalance of female sex hormones (such as with polycystic ovary syndrome)
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which a woman has increased levels of male hormones (androgens). Many problems occur as a result ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - During or after menopause
-
Turner syndrome (rare genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of 2 X chromosomes)
Turner syndrome
Turner syndrome is a rare genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of X chromosomes.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - When the ovaries produce little or no hormones (ovarian hypofunction)
In men, a higher than normal level of LH may be due to:
- Absence of testes (anorchia) or testes that do not function
- Problem with genes, such as Klinefelter syndrome
Klinefelter syndrome
Klinefelter syndrome, also called 47,XXY, is a genetic condition that occurs in males when they have an extra X chromosome. This can cause problems ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Endocrine glands that are overactive or form a tumor (multiple endocrine neoplasia)
Multiple endocrine neoplasia
Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type I is a disease in which one or more of the endocrine glands are overactive or forms a tumor. It is passed do...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article
In children, a higher than normal level is seen in early (precocious) puberty.
Precocious
Puberty is the time when a person's sexual and physical characteristics mature. Precocious puberty is when these body changes happen earlier than no...
A lower than normal level of LH may be due to the pituitary gland not making enough hormone (hypopituitarism).
Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is a condition in which the pituitary gland does not produce normal amounts of some or all of its hormones.
Risks
There is little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling lightheaded
- Multiple punctures to locate veins
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
References
Jeelani R, Bluth MH. Reproductive function and pregnancy. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 26.
Lobo RA. Infertility: etiology, diagnostic evaluation, management, prognosis. In: Gershenson DM, Lentz GM, Valea FA, Lobo RA, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 40.
Review Date: 8/23/2023
Reviewed By: LaQuita Martinez, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Alpharetta, GA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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