If you have ever been told your hormone levels are “normal for your age” but still do not feel like yourself, you are not alone.
At Optimal DX, we take a different approach to interpreting adrenal and anabolic hormones, one that looks beyond population averages and asks a more important question:
What does healthy, resilient physiology actually look like?
Most lab reference ranges are built by averaging results across large populations. While this works well for diagnosing disease, it has limitations when applied to hormones that naturally decline with age.
As people get older, lower hormone levels become increasingly common. Over time, those lower values are absorbed into what is considered “normal.”
The result is a system where:
Hormones like DHEA-S, testosterone, and estrogen typically peak in early adulthood, often around age 30.
This life stage represents:
Rather than comparing today’s hormone levels to what is common at a given age, Optimal DX compares them to what is physiologically robust.
From a functional perspective, hormones are not just about avoiding disease. They play a role in how we:
By using youthful reference points as a benchmark, practitioners can better understand whether hormone levels reflect maintenance of function or gradual depletion over time.
Using age-30 benchmarks does not mean:
It does mean:
Many people seek functional or integrative care because they want to stay well, not just treat disease.
This approach supports:
“Normal” is a statistical concept. Optimal is a physiologic one.
By anchoring hormone interpretation to peak adult physiology, Optimal DX provides a framework that helps practitioners and patients better understand what their lab results may be saying about long-term health and vitality.