Luteinizing hormone (LH), the norm of which is so important to many women and doctors, is one of the three most important sex hormones secreted by the pituitary gland, providing preparation for pregnancy and its normal course.
Luteinizing hormone is responsible for how well the female sex hormone progesterone and the male sex hormone testosterone are produced.
The norm of LH in women can be different not only in a certain dependence on the day of the cycle, the state of a woman, but also depending on age. Let's consider these indicators.
LH - the norm in women
If the female body produces enough LH hormone in a sufficient amount, the norm in women of this hormone can be detected by the results of a blood test. So:
- the norm of LH in the follicular phase (that is, from 1 to 14 days of the menstrual cycle) is from 2 to 14 mU / L;
- the norm of this hormone during the period of ovulation (from 12 to 16 days of the cycle) is from 24 to 150 mU / L;
- the norm of LH in the luteal phase (that is, from the 15-16 day of the menstrual cycle and until the start of the next cycle) is from 2 to 17 mU / L.
Excessively elevated levels of this hormone in women suggests:
- syndrome of exhaustion or polycystic ovary;
- renal failure;
- development of pituitary tumor;
- endometriosis;
- insufficiency of the functioning of the gonads.
In addition, LH in women can be increased during the period of fasting, intensive sports training (which is the reason for infertility of women engaged in professional sports), as well as under stress.
The lowered level of LH, as a rule, speaks about:
- Luteal phase insufficiency;
- syndrome of polycystic ovaries;
- excess of the level of the hormone prolactin;
- secondary hypothalamic aminoray.
The level of LH is lowered also with obesity, stress, growth retardation, smoking.
LH in pregnancy is normal
It is important to remember that in pregnancy, the level of luteinizing hormone is always reduced. This is considered a normal indicator and contributes to the maintenance of pregnancy and its maintenance.
LH hormone is a normal age
In girls, girls, women, LH varies throughout life. Let us describe these indicators. For example, at the age of 1 to 3 years, the level of this hormone is considered normal from 0.9 mU / l to 1.9 mU / L, for a 14-year-old girl - from 0.5 mU / L to 25 mU / L, and at the age of 18 years old - from 2.3 mU / L to 11 mU / L.
The norms for women of childbearing age, applied to different phases of the menstrual cycle, are given above. In the climacteric, the level of LH in women varies from 14.2 to 52.3 mU / l.
It should also be borne in mind that the quoted norms are somewhat approximate, therefore, how even one woman can differ, depending on the state of the organism.
LH analysis is normal in women
In order for LH analysis to be performed correctly, the following important rules must be observed:
- blood for analysis must be taken strictly in the morning and on an empty stomach, as well as any analysis on hormones;
- to know the norm of LH in the follicular phase , the analysis should be carried out from the 3rd and the 8th day of the cycle;
- to know the norm of LH in the luteal phase, the analysis should be carried out from 19 to 21 days of the cycle;
- for the day before the test, you can not drink alcohol, too fatty food and sweets.
This analysis is usually administered with infertility, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome. It is always performed to determine the period of ovulation, with IVF ( in vitro fertilization ).
Despite the fact that in women the level of LH in the body is constantly different, there are medical norms that determine the excess or insufficiency of this important hormone.