IGF-1 Hormone Program
Are Lab Tests Important? YES!
IGF-1 Hormone Advanced Testing and Why It Is So Important
At the Tulsa’s Men’s Clinic, we believe in a holistic approach when it comes to treatment. This is why we do thorough testing before recommending any sort of treatment, not only to make sure the treatment is effective for you, but is also safe. One of the tests we do is the IGF-1 test. By doing specific testing we can ensure your success and safety during your therapy with us. Besides the IGF-1 test, we also do blood work, body mass index (BMI) to determine your body composition, as well as medical and physical checkups. Our specialists and providers are licensed and professional, working closely with you to recommend the best and most effective treatment for your needs.
What We Check and Why
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1)
IGF-1 is produced by the liver, skeletal muscle, and other tissues in the body as a response to HGH (human growth hormone) stimulation. IGF-1 intermediates many of the behaviors of HGH, stimulating the growth of bones and other tissues and promoting the production of lean muscle mass. It is difficult to find an accurate level from a standard HGH test because HGH is discharged into the blood in pulses throughout the day. As IGF-1 and HGH are correlated due to their relationship, you can use IGF-1 to extrapolate data on HGH levels. This makes IGF-1 the most accurate testing for HGH levels. At the Oklahoma Men’s Clinic, we offer IGF-1 testing as a way to determine HGH levels. From this testing, we can recommend the best treatments for you based on HGH deficiency. As you can determine from the graph, IGF-1 levels decrease and almost mirror HGH level deficiency as you age.
Once we identify your IGF-1 level, we can put you in the correct range and begin to effectively manage your HGH therapy.
Our testing does not stop there. We further ensure that your symptoms are not a result of other possible deficiencies or lack of other hormones. We offer other tests to make sure that our staff fully understands any underlying issues and can give you the best recommendations for treatment.
Free and Total Testosterone Levels
Total testosterone is the sum of both biologically active and inactive testosterone. Inactive testosterone is testosterone in your body that is unavailable for your body to use. Free testosterone is what is biologically active and available for use. The chart shows that around age 35, total testosterone levels decline by about 1% per year. However, free testosterone decreases at about a 20% higher rate, showing that there is less testosterone overall in your body for your body to use. We run a series of thorough testosterone tests to make sure we see not only free testosterone, but also total testosterone to activate more of the testosterone in your body and boost your levels.
The Big Three
We call these three tests the “Big Three,” as they are essential in determining if testosterone therapy is working effectively and successfully. Our staff at the Oklahoma Men’s Clinic interpret the results of these tests to determine your percentile, then by evaluating your symptoms and progress, we can identify any problems with current therapies or recommend an initial therapy. We use cutting-edge lab technology to provide accurate results in real time, giving you the best information about your current health.
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Gobulin)
SHBG is a glycoprotein that binds to testosterone and can prevent it from being active, so your body cannot use it. The chart shows, as you age, your testosterone levels decrease but your SHBG increases. This is because the increase in SHBG causes the decrease in testosterone by inactivating it. In looking at your SHBG, we can determine how much of your body’s testosterone is active and find ways to lower SHBG to boost your testosterone levels.
PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)
A PSA test is done to pre-screen for prostate cancer. A higher level of PSA suggests a higher risk for prostate cancer. Testing for PSA lets us know if any of our recommended therapies will be safe for you, especially if you may be at risk for cancer. If we find a raised level of PSA, we will refer you for clearance for treatment to a urologist. From previous tests done by our clinics, we have actually helped patients get treatment for prostate cancer early, saving their lives.
CBC (Complete Blood Count)
CBC is often called the hemoglobin test. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that shuttles oxygen and carbon dioxide back and forth from your lungs to your tissues and organs as you breathe. If your hemoglobin is lower than normal, it is called anemia, and can have negative side effects. If the hemoglobin is high, it means that your blood is especially thick. As testosterone therapy can thicken your blood, it is important that our staff check your hemoglobin levels before getting treatment to make sure testosterone therapy is safe for you. Our staff recommends donating blood regularly during testosterone therapy to decrease the possibilities of a stroke or heart attack. This test allows us to recommend effective therapy in the safest manner for you.
All of these tests and many more are performed within our comprehensive labs.
Oklahoma Men’s Clinic Uses Advanced Lab Testing as Part of Our RESTORE Low Level HGH Therapy