www.androbalance.co.uk | T: 07855 258387
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
You mention blood contamination interfering with the tests. My gums bleed when I brush my teeth and sometimes when I bite into apples etc. Will this affect the results and is there anything I can do about it?
Answer
Yes it will affect the results...and yes there is something you can do about it. Significant blood contamination of saliva samples can invalidate salivary hormone assay results. The higher the differential between the concentration of the hormone in the blood and the concentration in the saliva, the greater the error caused by any blood contamination. For instance, testosterone has a plasma:saliva ratio of around 84:1 and contamination of saliva samples with only 0.25% of blood can increase apparent salivary testosterone levels by around 20% - enough to invalidate the assay. This is why the test kit instructions specify that you must not brush or floss your teeth for at least 60 minutes prior to sample collection. Otherwise the resultant micro-abrasions in the mouth may cause blood contamination of the saliva sample.
If you know that you suffer from bleeding gums you should seek a long- term solution to this problem through improved oral hygiene, including regular flossing.
Androbalance/LCN routinely analyse all submitted saliva samples for blood contamination prior to analysis for steroid hormones. We are the only commercial organisation to have instituted this policy, and employ a proprietary, fully quantitative assay for blood contamination, thereby safeguarding the quality and accuracy of our salivary hormone analyses.
N.B. Any samples found to have significant blood contamination will be rejected and the client will be invited to resubmit the sample. A small fee of £ 3-50 will be charged in this situation, so please do ensure good oral hygiene to avoid bleeding gums, and please do closely follow the Androbalance Test Kit Instructions sheet. This will ensure a clean, high quality sample for analysis.