This stick tests your hormones using your phone and saliva

If you’re health-conscious, chances are your feed has been filled with influencer promotions over the past year hormonal balance As a way to easily lose weight, reduce stress levels, and even reverse the symptoms of hormonal conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). So it’s no surprise to see Eli Health launch the Hormometer, an at-home hormone testing system that uses your saliva and your smartphone’s camera to measure hormone levels.

Like many home tests, a hormone meter requires you to take a sample of your body fluids. In this case, it’s saliva. It consists of a thin cartridge that you can put in your mouth for 60 seconds. It looks similar to a pregnancy test, with a window to view the results. Once collected, the Eli app uses your phone’s camera to evaluate the test results based on criteria such as color intensity and sample pattern. Based on testing and results, the app will provide personalized trends and recommendations related to stress, sleep, athletic performance and fertility, Eli Health said.

First, Eli Health says it offers two types of hormone testing: cortisol and progesterone. cortisol Often referred to as a stress hormone, it plays a key role in regulating the fight-or-flight response, blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and sleep cycles. Long-term imbalances, whether high or low, are often associated with negative health outcomes, including Cushing’s syndrome, unintentional weight gain/loss, fatigue, type 2 diabetes, and blood pressure abnormalities. at the same time, progesterone It is a reproductive hormone. Abnormal levels can lead to irregular menstruation, fertility problems and depression.

Eli Health’s tests reflect recent health and wellness trends. For example, the popularity of connected home testing kits increased during the height of the covid-19 pandemic. Although it is expensive, Smart over-the-counter PCR test Because of its convenience and accuracy, Cue Health is an important part of some tech companies’ return-to-office plans.

Likewise, one of the attractions of a hormone meter is its portability and accessibility. Traditionally, hormone tests had to be sent to a laboratory and were usually performed in a doctor’s office. This may take several days or weeks. They can also be confusing if they’re urine-based, or invasive if they’re blood-based. The advantage of this type of test is that no third party is required and the results can be obtained more quickly. As for cost, Eli Health says Hormometer will offer subscription plans starting at $8 per month with a 12-month commitment. This is competitive with other home hormone tests, which cost about $30 to $250 and require people to mail in a sample.

Meanwhile, balancing hormone levels, especially cortisol levels, has become a viral health trend. Repair tips”cortisol face”, for example, is rampant on TikTok throughout 2024. However, experts believe Condemning hormonal balance is both misleading and potentially harmful — Hormones cannot be truly balanced because they are dynamic and naturally ebb and flow throughout the day. That said, these tests can help people with official diagnoses of chronic hormonal or reproductive health problems monitor their conditions.

A lot depends on accuracy. According to Eli Health, the hormone meter is registered with the FDA. To be clear, this is not the same as a license or approval. This does not mean that the FDA has reviewed or co-signed Eli Health’s statement. Nonetheless, the company claims that its cortisol and progesterone tests match 97% and 94% respectively with third-party testing of FDA-approved gold standard laboratory tests.

Hormometer will begin beta testing in the U.S. and Canada this month, Eli Health said. A full release is expected later this year. While Hormometer is currently limited to cortisol and progesterone, the company says it’s already developing tests for testosterone and estradiol in the future.