SHBG hormone binding
Biomarker library
Hormonal Health
SHBG
SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) is a protein made by the liver that carries testosterone and oestradiol in the blood and controls how much is free to act.
Measured in your health assessment, with a doctor to explain your result. Book yours
Why it matters
Only the unbound fraction of a hormone is active, so SHBG decides how much of your testosterone or oestrogen your tissues can actually use. A low SHBG is also an early sign of insulin resistance.
What a result can mean
Lower than the range
A low SHBG is linked with excess weight, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and an underactive thyroid, and it raises the share of free testosterone.
Higher than the range
A higher SHBG is seen with ageing, an overactive thyroid, liver conditions, low body weight and oestrogen treatment, and means less free testosterone even when total testosterone is normal.
What can help
Weight loss and better insulin sensitivity tend to raise a low SHBG. Its main use is to interpret testosterone and oestradiol results correctly.
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 SHBG.
Measured in your health assessment and explained by the doctor who reviews your results.