Skip to content
Missed Black Friday? Check out our HUGE offers for Christmas!
Missed Black Friday? Check out our HUGE offers for Christmas!

Luteinising hormone (LH) - description and reference ranges

What is it?

Luteinising Hormone (LH) is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. It is one of the most important hormones in the fertility hormones range, as it stimulates testosterone production in men and controls the ovulation cycles in women. During the menopause the ovaries stop functioning regularly and LH levels rise.

Reference ranges

If your indicative LH concentration is lower than the reference range for our laboratory:

In males, low levels of LH point towards pituitary or hypothalamic issues (a part of the brain that controls the pituitary gland).

In females, this means also issues with pituitary gland or an eating disorder or malnutrition.

Please discuss this result with your GP.

If your indicative LH concentration level is higher than the reference range for our laboratory:

In women, ncreased levels of LH point at ovarian failures, such as underdeveloped ovaries, hormone deficiencies, effects of chemotherapy or autoimmune disease, adrenal issues or thyroid problems.

In men, high LH levels can be due to testicular failure, due to injury or other conditions, such as thyroid.

Please discuss this result with your GP.

Quick test finder

Quick test finder

Find what you need in under 30 seconds with our (very clever!) test finder. We offer a huge range of markers all a few clicks away, as well as fastest turnaround times.

Find your test

You might also like to read

  • The PSA Blood Test and Prostate Cancer Screening
    Adam Staten

    The PSA Blood Test and Prostate Cancer Screening

    In the UK, we screen for many different conditions. This starts before we are even born when foetuses are screened for conditions such as Down’s syndrome then, in the new born period, babies are screened for metabolic diseases and hearing problems, school children are screened for colour blindness, and in adulthood we are screened for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and bowel cancer. But we don’t screen for prostate cancer despite the existence of a simple blood test that can alert us to the possibility of the disease.

    Why not?

    Read now
  • Dr Mike Forsythe on Vitamin B12
    Dr Mike Forsythe

    Dr Mike Forsythe on Vitamin B12

    Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a unique nutrient, as it’s the only vitamin we require that must be sourced externally from animal-derived foods or supplements. So how do we know if we are getting enough of it? What...

    Read now