Progesterone is a steroid hormone produced by the female and male body, mainly the testicles and ovaries with a negligible participation of the adrenal cortex. Progesterone is considered to be a hormone of pregnancy: it is produced by the yellow body 12 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation, and at the onset of pregnancy its level persistently remains elevated until the 16th week of pregnancy, when the function of hormone production and fetal nutrition is borne by the placenta.
When to test for progesterone?
The most optimal period for taking tests for the level of progesterone in pregnant women is the period up to 4 months of pregnancy. Usually the analysis is given at the time of registration, and at regular intervals after it.
For women out of the question, when donating blood to progesterone, should be agreed with the attending physician. After all, with the 28-day cycle, the blood for progesterone should be given on day 22 of the cycle, that is, after ovulation, when its level is maximized. With a longer cycle, for example, up to 35 days, progesterone is delivered on the 25-29 day of the cycle. The delivery of the test for this hormone in any case should fall on the second phase of the cycle.
How to take progesterone correctly?
Any analysis, except for temporary conditions, has specific conditions for delivery. The analysis for progesterone is carried out on an empty stomach, after the last meal should pass 6 - 8 hours. It is advisable to take the analysis in the morning, but if you observe an interval of 6 hours between meals, it can be delivered after dinner.
When to take 17-OH progesterone?
17- HE progesterone is not a hormone, but its predecessor, so it is taken for 4 - 5 days of the cycle. During pregnancy, the analysis for 17-OH progesterone is not very informative, as more important is its background before pregnancy and in the newborn baby.
Rates of progesterone
The concentration of hormones directly depends on the phase of the cycle, the highest concentration in the luteal phase.
Progesterone:
- follicular phase - 0,32 - 2,23 nmol / l;
- ovulatory phase - 0.48 - 9.41 nmol / l;
- luteal phase - 6.99 - 56.63 nmol / l.
In pregnancy, progesterone levels are as follows:
- I trimester - 8,9 - 468,4 nmol / l;
- II trimester - 71.5 - 303.1 nmol / l;
- III trimester - 88.7 - 771.5 nmol / l.
The rate of progesterone in men is 0.32-0.64 nmol / l.
The analysis for progesterone should be given in preparation for pregnancy, with adrenocortical disorders (Addison's disease), and there are some conditions associated with an increase in the level of progesterone:
- pregnancy;
- kidney failure;
- amenorrhea;
- cysts of the yellow body ;
- lesions of the placenta;
- uterine bleeding.
- The lowered level of progesterone is manifested by the following conditions:
- a premature pregnancy;
- risk of miscarriage;
- uterine bleeding;
- chronic inflammation of the genital area;
- delay in fetal development;
- taking certain medicines.
When taking any medication while taking the progesterone test
An increased level of progesterone in women is most likely to indicate pregnancy, while in men it is a sign of neoplastic processes of the adrenal glands or testicles.
For the correction of violations of the level of progesterone most often used injections of progesterone 1%, 2% or 2.5% - oily hormone solutions, often on almond or olive oil, or tablet forms of progesterone, allowing in the shortest possible time to adjust the hormonal background.