wann ist ein test auf östrogen, progesteron und cortisol sinnvoll? — can a DNA test help?

Testing for estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol is useful when you have symptoms like menstrual irregularities, unexplained fatigue, weight changes, mood swings, or chronic stress. These hormones are typically measured via blood, saliva, or urine because they fluctuate with circadian rhythms and menstrual cycles. A DNA test can offer limited insight: it looks at genetic variants in genes such as CYP19A1 (aromatase), ESR1/2 (estrogen receptors), PGR (progesterone receptor), or NR3C1 (glucocorticoid receptor). These variants may indicate how your body processes or responds to hormones, but they do not reflect current hormone levels. The evidence is mostly mechanistic or from GWAS with small effect sizes. For example, a variant in CYP17A1 can influence cortisol production, but its clinical relevance for an individual is unclear. Many direct-to-consumer DNA tests overstate the predictive power of such markers. A proper hormone assessment requires a doctor’s evaluation, especially before any hormone therapy. A DNA test can be a complementary piece of the puzzle, but it should never replace direct hormone measurement. Be cautious: hormone levels are highly context-dependent (time of day, diet, stress, medications).