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Estradiol blood test
E2 test
An estradiol test measures the amount of a hormone called estradiol in the blood.
How the Test is Performed
Blood sample is needed
Venipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein. It is most often done for laboratory testing.
How to Prepare for the Test
Your health care provider may tell you to temporarily stop taking certain medicines that may affect test results. Be sure to tell your provider about all the medicines you take. These include:
- Birth control pills
- Antibiotics such as ampicillin or tetracycline
- Corticosteroids
- DHEA (a supplement)
- Estrogen
- Medicine to manage mental disorders (such as phenothiazine)
- Testosterone
Do not stop taking any medicine before talking to your doctor.
How the Test will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.
Why the Test is Performed
In women, most estradiol is released from the ovaries and adrenal glands. It is also released by the placenta during pregnancy. Estradiol plays a role in:
- Growth of the womb (uterus), fallopian tubes, and vagina
- Breast development
- Changes of the outer genitals
- Distribution of body fat
In men, a small amount of estradiol is mainly released by the testes. Estradiol helps prevent sperm from dying too early.
This test may be ordered to check:
- How well your ovaries, placenta, or adrenal glands work
- If you have signs of an ovarian tumor
- If male or female body characteristics are not developing normally
- If your periods have stopped (levels of estradiol vary, depending on the time of month)
The test may also be ordered to check if:
-
Hormone therapy is working for women in
menopause
Menopause
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her periods (menstruation) stop. Most often, it is a natural, normal body change that most often occurs...
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The test may also be used to monitor people with hypopituitarism and women on certain fertility treatments.
Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is a condition in which the pituitary gland does not produce normal amounts of some or all of its hormones.
Normal Results
The results may vary, depending on the person's gender and age.
- Male: 10 to 50 pg/mL
- Female (premenopausal): 30 to 400 pg/mL
- Female (postmenopausal): 0 to 30 pg/mL
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test result.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Disorders that are associated with abnormal estradiol results include:
-
Early (precocious) puberty
in girls
Early (precocious) puberty
Puberty is the time during which a person's sexual and physical characteristics mature. Precocious puberty is when these body changes happen earlier...
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Growth of abnormally large breasts in men (
gynecomastia
)
Gynecomastia
When abnormally large breasts develop in males, it is called gynecomastia. It is due to the excess growth of breast tissue, not excess fat tissue....
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Lack of periods in women (
amenorrhea
)
Amenorrhea
Absence of a woman's monthly menstrual period is called amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a girl has not yet started her monthly periods, and sh...
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Reduced function of the ovaries (
ovarian hypofunction
)
Ovarian hypofunction
Ovarian hypofunction is reduced function of the ovaries (including decreased production of hormones).
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Problem with genes, such as Klinefelter syndrome,
Turner syndrome
Turner syndrome
Turner syndrome is a rare genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of 2 X chromosomes.
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Risks
Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling lightheaded
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
References
Borawski D, Bluth MH. Reproductive function and pregnancy. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods . 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 25.
Carmina E, Stanczyk FZ, Lobo RA. Laboratory assessment. In: Strauss JF, Barbieri RL, eds. Yen and Jaffe's Reproductive Endocrinology . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014:chap 34.
Gruber HA, Farag AF. Evaluation of endocrine function. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods . 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 24.
Review Date: 9/26/2015
Reviewed By: Daniel N. Sacks MD, FACOG, obstetrics & gynecology in private practice, West Palm Beach, FL. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
