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Research

Every result grounded
in peer review.

We don't invent ranges or make clinical claims without evidence. Every biomarker threshold, every “optimal” label, every plain-language note in your report traces back to a named publication.

This page describes how we select biomarkers, how we determine what “optimal” means for women, and the key studies that inform each panel.

01 - Our approach

Standard ranges.
Optimal context.

Your results are always reported against the CLIA-accredited lab's reference range - the same range your own doctor would use, from Quest Diagnostics. We don't replace that.

What we add is the second layer: the peer-reviewed research on what's optimal for women - stratified by cycle phase, life stage, and context. "In range" tells you where you fall. The research layer tells you where you should aim.

Standard CLIA range

Reported on every result. Set by the lab.

Research-backed optimal for women

Surfaced alongside the CLIA range. Drawn from peer-reviewed literature.

What this means for you

A TSH of 3.2 mIU/L is “in range” by CLIA standards. The ATA guidelines note that women trying to conceive benefit from a target below 2.5. Both pieces of information appear on your report.

02 - Selection criteria

How we choose
what to measure.

01
Primary source evidence

Every reference range and optimal threshold traces back to a named, peer-reviewed publication - not a secondary source or a clinical consensus statement alone.

02
Female-specific cohorts

We prioritize studies with substantial female representation, phase-specific stratification, and life-stage context (cycling, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, postpartum).

03
CLIA-certified validation

All sample processing runs through Quest Diagnostics - CLIA and CAP accredited. The assay methods and quality controls match what your physician uses.

04
Actionability threshold

We only surface biomarkers where clinical guidance exists for intervention. If a value is out of range and there's nothing meaningful you can do about it, we don't include it.

03 - By body system

The science behind
each panel.

Hormones & longevity

Cycle-phase stratification changes everything. Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone reference ranges derived from mixed-phase or male-dominated populations miss meaningful variation across the luteal and follicular windows.

EstradiolTestosterone, FreeProgesteroneSHBG
Stricker R, et al. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2006;44(7):883–887
Thyroid health

Standard TSH upper bounds (4.0–4.5 mIU/L) are derived from population norms that include subclinically hypothyroid individuals. ATA 2017 guidelines recommend TSH <2.5 mIU/L for women preconception; emerging evidence extends this to symptomatic women generally.

TSHT4, FreeT3, FreeTPO Antibodies
Alexander EK, et al. Thyroid. 2017;27(3):315–389
Metabolic & organ health

Fasting insulin detects insulin resistance 5–10 years before A1c reflects it. Adiponectin and leptin further characterize metabolic dysfunction before it becomes diagnosable by standard criteria.

InsulinHemoglobin A1cAdiponectinLeptin
Tabák AG, et al. Lancet. 2012;379(9833):2279–2290
Cardiovascular health

Standard lipid panels underestimate cardiovascular risk in women. ApoB outperforms LDL-C as a predictor of MACE in women; Lp(a) confers risk independent of LDL and is not reduced by statins.

Apolipoprotein BLipoprotein (a)hs-CRPHomocysteine
Ballantyne CM, et al. JACC. 2022;79(17):1729–1740
Nutrients & cellular health

Non-anemic women with ferritin below 50 ng/mL report fatigue, hair loss, and impaired exercise recovery. The standard lower bound of 10 ng/mL reflects the threshold for anemia, not optimal tissue iron stores.

FerritinVitamin DVitamin B12Magnesium
Vaucher P, et al. CMAJ. 2012;184(11):1247–1254
Fertility & reproductive health

AMH is the single most predictive marker for ovarian reserve and is cycle-day independent - unlike FSH and estradiol, which vary substantially across the cycle, AMH can be drawn on any day.

AMHFSHLHAndrostenedione
Tal R & Seifer DB. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2017;34(4):455–466
04 - Key publications

The papers
we build on.

These are representative publications. Every claim in your results report is individually cited in-line. If you see a superscript number on your report, it traces to a specific paper.

01
Alexander EK, Pearce EN, Brent GA, et al. (2017). 2017 Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy and the Postpartum. Thyroid, 27(3): 315–389.
Establishes TSH <2.5 mIU/L as the preconception target for women.
02
Stricker R, Eberhart R, Chevailler MC, et al. (2006). Establishment of detailed reference values for luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol, and progesterone during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Clin Chem Lab Med, 44(7): 883–887.
Phase-specific reference intervals for estradiol, LH, FSH, and progesterone.
03
Vaucher P, Druais PL, Waldvogel S, Favrat B. (2012). Effect of iron supplementation on fatigue in nonanemic menstruating women with low ferritin. CMAJ, 184(11): 1247–1254.
RCT showing reduced fatigue in non-anemic women with ferritin <50 ng/mL supplemented with iron.
04
Holick MF, Binkley NC, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. (2011). Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 96(7): 1911–1930.
Endocrine Society guideline supporting 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L for optimal bone and muscle health.
05
Tabák AG, Herder C, Rathmann W, Brunner EJ, Kivimäki M. (2012). Prediabetes: a high-risk state for diabetes development. Lancet, 379(9833): 2279–2290.
Characterizes the insulin resistance trajectory years before A1c-detectable prediabetes.
06
Tal R, Seifer DB. (2017). Ovarian reserve testing: a user's guide. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 217(2): 129–140.
Establishes AMH as the preferred ovarian reserve marker due to cycle-independence and predictive accuracy.
See it in your results

Research that reads
as plain English.