LH reproductive signals
Biomarker library
Hormonal Health
LH
LH (luteinising hormone) is the pituitary signal that triggers ovulation in women and tells the testes to make testosterone in men.
Measured in your health assessment, with a doctor to explain your result. Book yours
Why it matters
A surge of LH in the middle of the cycle releases the egg, and it is what home ovulation tests detect. In men, LH and testosterone together show whether a low testosterone starts in the testes or in the brain.
What a result can mean
Lower than the range
A low LH can mean the pituitary or hypothalamus is under-signalling, for example with very low body weight, excessive exercise, stress, hormonal contraception or anabolic steroid use.
Higher than the range
In women, a high LH outside the mid-cycle surge is seen in the menopause and often in polycystic ovary syndrome. In men, a high LH with a low testosterone points to the testes.
What can help
Treatment depends on the cause. A healthy weight and avoiding over-training help restore normal signalling, and in men who stop anabolic steroids LH recovers over time.
Read it with
NoteGeneral educational illustration. Colours, sizes and movement are simplified. This is not a scan or a simulation of your body. General information, not personal medical advice: a doctor reads your own results with your history.
Know your LH.
Measured in your health assessment and explained by the doctor who reviews your results.