An Update to the Serum-Saliva Debate for Transdermal Hormone Therapy Monitoring

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Dr. Mark Holthouse joins Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and DUTCH founder Mark Newman to take a closer look at a recent peer-reviewed publication from Precision Analytical, Inc. in Frontiers in Reproductive Health, examining how different testing methods hold up when it comes to monitoring male TRT in clinical practice.

Their discussion also covers:

• Common misconceptions about how creams and gels show up in saliva testing and why the numbers can be misleading
• What the clinical data actually shows about dosing accuracy across different testing modalities 
• When to use serum, urine, and other testing approaches can be leveraged to optimize treatment.
• How under or overdosing risks can be reduced by matching the right test to the right clinical question
• Why advancing best practices in integrative medicine requires continually revisiting what the evidence supports

Show Notes 

Read our DUTCH Article on the Frontiers study, Mark Newman’s commentary, and the full study here. 

Check out the resources mentioned in this episode: 

• The topical progesterone cream study in Fertility and Sterility 
• The transdermal progesterone study from Climacteric 
• Good Energymentioned by Dr. Holthouse 
• The study on the cardiovascular safety of TRT in the New England Journal of Medicine 
• The study on testosterone threshold levels and skeletal muscle strength 

Become a DUTCH Provider to gain access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support.