Clinic appointment
PCOS Essentials Check
Reproductive hormones, blood sugar control and cholesterol in one clinic sample, for when polycystic ovary syndrome is a question. It does not include testosterone or SHBG.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- Fasting preferred
What’s included
3 tests included
This count refers to bundled laboratory tests. Their individual measurements are listed below.
All items are shown below, grouped by area. You can collapse a group as you read.
Hormones
FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone. As the ovaries become less active in the years before the menopause, less feedback reaches the pituitary gland and FSH rises. Levels can swing sharply from day to day during this change, then stay high after the menopause.
LH
Luteinising hormone, measured together with FSH. In women whose periods have stopped, high LH and FSH before age 40 suggest premature ovarian insufficiency, while normal or low levels point to causes such as weight loss, stress or excessive exercise. A normal FSH with normal or moderately raised LH may be seen in polycystic ovary syndrome.
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone often checked when periods stop. Mild rises are most often due to stress or medicines such as antipsychotics, and can also be caused by pregnancy, breastfeeding, recent exercise or a difficult blood draw. Higher or persistent rises can point to a pituitary growth or an underactive thyroid and may need specialist assessment.
Oestradiol
An oestrogen hormone, often checked with FSH, LH and prolactin when periods have stopped. A low level can point to early loss of ovarian function (with a high FSH), a raised prolactin, or causes such as weight loss, stress or heavy exercise. Results are not reliable during any hormonal treatment.
Diabetes
Glucose
Measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood when the sample is taken. It may be done after not eating for a few hours (a fasting test) or at other times, and the result is judged differently depending on when you last ate. A high level is mainly seen in diabetes.
HbA1c
Reflects blood glucose control over roughly the previous 8 to 12 weeks, without the need to fast. It is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, but can be misleading in pregnancy, soon after symptoms start, and in people with abnormal haemoglobin, such as sickle cell trait, or altered red blood cell turnover.
Cholesterol
Triglycerides
A type of blood fat measured in a standard lipid profile, which does not usually need a fasting sample. A high level is one form of lipid imbalance and is a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in its own right.
Total cholesterol
The total amount of cholesterol carried in your blood. The result can be split into HDL (good) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, and doctors use it with things like age and blood pressure to estimate the risk of heart and circulation problems.
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is part of a standard cholesterol (lipid) profile. It works against the build-up of fatty plaque in artery walls, so higher levels are linked with a lower risk of heart and circulation disease. A low HDL level is one form of unhealthy blood fat balance (dyslipidaemia).
LDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is usually calculated from the other results in a standard cholesterol profile. It plays a major part in fatty plaque building up in artery walls, so a raised level increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. It has long been the main target of cholesterol-lowering treatment.
Non-HDL cholesterol
All the cholesterol types that raise heart risk added together in one number. NICE uses it to set cholesterol treatment goals.
Overview
Polycystic ovary syndrome can affect reproductive hormones, blood sugar handling and cholesterol. This panel looks at all three from one clinic sample. It does not include testosterone or SHBG, which are usually part of a PCOS assessment; the PCOS Check includes those. It suits a woman who already knows she has PCOS and wants her blood sugar and cholesterol checked, or who wants these results before a specialist conversation.
Polycystic ovary syndrome can affect hormones, blood sugar handling and cholesterol together. This panel reports FSH, LH, prolactin and oestradiol, HbA1c with fasting glucose, and a full cholesterol breakdown from one sample. It does not include testosterone or SHBG, which are usually part of a PCOS assessment; the PCOS Check adds those, along with insulin, AMH and adrenal hormones.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Women aged 18 and over
- Women with irregular periods who want blood sugar and cholesterol checked
- Anyone with a PCOS diagnosis who wants sugar and cholesterol checked
Who it isn’t for
- It does not include testosterone, SHBG, insulin or AMH; the PCOS Check covers those. Testosterone is the main blood test doctors use to look for raised male-type hormones in PCOS, so this panel cannot answer that part of the question. Combined hormonal contraception masks the hormone results.
- PCOS is recognised from your periods, your symptoms and blood tests, sometimes with a scan, never from this panel alone.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- Irregular or infrequent periods
- Weight gain or a family history of type 2 diabetes alongside irregular periods
- Difficulty losing weight
- A diagnosis of PCOS and wanting sugar and cholesterol checked
- Difficulty conceiving with irregular cycles
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- FSH▲ High
- Result
- 34 IU/L
- Range
- 3.5–12.5 (day 2–5)
- LHIn range
- Result
- 5.9 IU/L
- Range
- 2.4–12.6 (day 2–5)
- ProlactinIn range
- Result
- 280 mIU/L
- Range
- 102–496 (women)
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSH | 34 | IU/L | 3.5–12.5 (day 2–5) | ▲ High |
| LH | 5.9 | IU/L | 2.4–12.6 (day 2–5) | In range |
| Prolactin | 280 | mIU/L | 102–496 (women) | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
FSH above 30 with irregular periods and symptoms points towards the menopause transition. Under 45 it is repeated in six weeks before any conclusion.
…and 8 more markers. Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Fasting preferred
- Who it's for
- Women · ages 18+
How to prepare
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
When should I take the sample?
Day two to five of a period if you have one, fasted, in the morning. If periods are very irregular, the doctor reads the result with that in mind.
Why check sugar and cholesterol for PCOS?
PCOS raises the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes and is linked with a higher risk of heart and circulation problems later in life. International guidelines recommend a cholesterol check and a blood sugar check for everyone with PCOS. The most accurate sugar test is a glucose tolerance test, which takes about two hours at a clinic; HbA1c and fasting glucose, as used here, are simpler alternatives.
Does biotin affect the result?
It can. High-dose biotin (vitamin B7), often sold for hair, skin and nails, can make some hormone results read too high or too low. Laboratory advice is usually to leave at least 8 hours after a dose of 5 mg or more, and some advise longer, so the simplest approach is to skip it on the day of your sample. Tell us if you take it, and do not stop a medicine that a doctor has prescribed.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
Do I need to fast?
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
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