Lab result explainedHormonesLast updated November 8, 2026

LH blood test: what high and low luteinizing hormone levels mean

Luteinizing hormone (LH) · Reproductive hormone panel (often with FSH, estradiol, prolactin, testosterone) · reported in IU/L (identical to mIU/mL)

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a hormone released by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain that tells the ovaries to ovulate and make progesterone, and tells the testes to make testosterone. An LH blood test is ordered to work out why periods are irregular or absent, to time or confirm ovulation, to investigate infertility or low testosterone, and to tell whether a problem lies in the ovaries or testes themselves or in the pituitary and hypothalamus that control them. In women of reproductive age, a typical result outside the mid-cycle surge is 1.9 to 12.5 IU/L; in men, 1.5 to 9.3 IU/L.

LH is the most variable hormone on a standard panel because it is released in pulses every one to two hours and swings dramatically across the menstrual cycle. In the day before ovulation it rises five to ten fold (the LH surge), which is what home ovulation kits detect, then falls back within 48 hours. After menopause, with no ovarian feedback to hold it down, LH settles permanently high, typically 15 to 55 IU/L. A single LH value therefore means very little without the date of your last period, your age and, almost always, the FSH and estradiol drawn with it.

The two results most people search for are a high LH with a normal FSH in a woman with irregular periods, which is the classic picture of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and a high LH with a high FSH, which means the ovaries or testes have stopped responding, as in menopause, premature ovarian insufficiency or primary testicular failure. A low LH with low estradiol or testosterone points the other way, to the pituitary or hypothalamus, with causes ranging from under-eating and over-exercising to a high prolactin or a pituitary tumour.

LH at a glance

  • What it is: a pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation and progesterone production in women and testosterone production in men; released in pulses under control of the hypothalamus (GnRH).
  • Normal (women): follicular phase 1.9–12.5 IU/L, mid-cycle surge 8.7–76 IU/L, luteal phase 0.5–17 IU/L, after menopause 16–54 IU/L. Normal (men): 1.5–9.3 IU/L. Labs differ; 1 IU/L = 1 mIU/mL.
  • High LH with high FSH: the ovaries or testes have failed (menopause, premature ovarian insufficiency, Turner or Klinefelter syndrome, testicular damage). High LH with normal FSH and irregular periods: suggests PCOS.
  • Low LH with low estradiol or testosterone: the pituitary or hypothalamus is under-signalling (low body weight or heavy exercise, stress, high prolactin, pituitary disease, opioids, anabolic steroids, testosterone therapy).
  • The LH surge peaks 10 to 12 hours before ovulation; ovulation follows 24 to 36 hours after the surge begins.
  • Next step: repeat on cycle day 2 to 5 with FSH, estradiol and prolactin (plus testosterone in men), and interpret against the cycle date, age and symptoms.

Have your whole report? Paste it into the free Lab Explainer

Every marker explained in plain language, in context with the others, with questions to bring to your appointment. No account needed.

What LH measures

LH is a glycoprotein hormone made by gonadotroph cells in the anterior pituitary. The hypothalamus releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in pulses, each pulse prompting a pulse of LH into the blood. In the ovary, LH acts on theca cells to make androgens (which granulosa cells convert to estradiol under FSH), triggers the final maturation and release of the egg at mid-cycle, and then turns the empty follicle into the corpus luteum that makes progesterone. In the testis, LH acts on Leydig cells to make testosterone. Estradiol, progesterone and testosterone feed back to the hypothalamus and pituitary to hold LH down, except for the brief mid-cycle window when rising estradiol flips to positive feedback and produces the surge.

The lab measures LH by immunoassay, reported in international units per litre (IU/L), which is numerically identical to the older mIU/mL. Because LH is pulsatile, a single sample can sit anywhere on a pulse, which adds roughly 20 to 40 percent variation from one draw to the next in the same person on the same day. Clinicians get round this by drawing on a defined cycle day (day 2 to 5 for a baseline, when LH and FSH are at their steadiest) and by reading LH together with FSH, estradiol and the clinical picture. Some labs pool three samples drawn 20 minutes apart in men to average out the pulses.

LH shares a sub-unit with hCG, the pregnancy hormone, and older assays cross-reacted; modern two-site assays do not, but pregnancy still suppresses LH to very low levels. Home ovulation predictor kits are urine LH tests with a detection threshold of around 25 to 40 mIU/mL; women with PCOS, whose baseline LH is already high, often get false positives, and women with a low-amplitude surge can miss it altogether.

Normal range for LH

Reference ranges vary between labs and by age, sex and pregnancy. Use the range printed on your own report.

GroupTypical range (IU/L (identical to mIU/mL))Notes
Women, follicular phase (day 1 to ovulation)1.9–12.5 IU/LSteadiest on days 2 to 5, which is when baseline hormone panels are drawn. Labs differ; use the printed range.
Women, mid-cycle surge8.7–76.3 IU/LLasts 24 to 48 hours; peak is about 10 to 12 hours before ovulation. Ovulation kits turn positive at roughly 25 to 40 IU/L.
Women, luteal phase (after ovulation)0.5–16.9 IU/LSuppressed by progesterone from the corpus luteum.
Women, after menopause15.9–54.0 IU/LPermanently high because there is no ovarian estrogen to feed back. FSH is usually higher still (over 25 to 40 IU/L).
Women on the combined pill or oral HRTUsually below 1–3 IU/LSynthetic estrogen and progestin suppress LH and FSH; results are uninterpretable for ovarian reserve or menopause while on them.
Men, adult1.5–9.3 IU/LRises slowly with age. Interpret with a morning total testosterone.
PregnancyBelow 1.5 IU/LHigh estradiol and progesterone, and hCG acting on the same receptor, suppress pituitary LH.
Children before pubertyBelow 0.3 IU/L (girls and boys)A rise above about 0.3 IU/L on an ultrasensitive assay, or a stimulated peak above 5, marks the start of central puberty.

High LH

The meaning of a high LH depends entirely on what FSH and the sex steroids are doing. When LH and FSH are both high and estradiol (or testosterone) is low, the pituitary is shouting at gonads that are no longer answering. In women this is menopause if you are around 45 to 55, or premature ovarian insufficiency if you are under 40; FSH above 25 to 40 IU/L on two tests four to six weeks apart is the usual confirmation. In men, high LH with a low morning testosterone means primary testicular failure (Klinefelter syndrome, mumps orchitis, chemotherapy, radiation, trauma or undescended testes), and the LH rise is often the earliest sign.

When LH is high but FSH is normal, with an LH:FSH ratio above 2 to 3 in a woman with irregular or absent periods, acne or excess hair, the pattern suggests PCOS. In PCOS the hypothalamus fires GnRH pulses too fast, which favours LH over FSH; the extra LH drives ovarian androgen production, which in turn blocks ovulation. Around 35 to 60 percent of women with PCOS have a raised LH or ratio, so a normal ratio does not exclude PCOS, and the current international guideline does not use the ratio as a diagnostic criterion. A high LH on its own, or a high ratio, is a supporting clue, not a diagnosis.

A high LH can also simply be the mid-cycle surge caught by chance, which is why an unexpectedly high result in a woman who cycles is repeated on day 2 to 5. Rare causes include a pituitary adenoma that secretes gonadotropins, and in older men LH rises gradually as Leydig cell function declines, often while testosterone stays low-normal (compensated hypogonadism).

Common causes

  1. Menopause and perimenopause

    As follicles run out, estradiol and inhibin fall and LH climbs to 15 to 55 IU/L, FSH higher still. During perimenopause values fluctuate wildly month to month, which is why a single LH or FSH cannot confirm menopause in a woman still having some periods.

  2. Premature ovarian insufficiency (ovarian failure before 40)

    Same pattern as menopause (high LH and FSH, low estradiol) in a woman under 40, affecting about 1 in 100. Causes include Turner syndrome and other chromosomal conditions, fragile X premutation, autoimmune disease, chemotherapy and radiation; many cases are unexplained.

  3. Polycystic ovary syndrome

    Rapid GnRH pulses raise LH relative to FSH; a ratio above 2 to 3 is seen in roughly a third to a half of women with PCOS, typically with LH of 10 to 20 IU/L and a normal FSH. Insulin resistance and obesity blunt the LH rise, so lean women with PCOS are more likely to show it.

  4. Primary testicular failure in men

    Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY, about 1 in 600 men, often undiagnosed), mumps orchitis, testicular torsion or trauma, chemotherapy, radiation, undescended testes and alcohol excess all damage Leydig cells; LH rises above 9 IU/L while testosterone falls.

  5. The mid-cycle surge

    A blood test drawn in the 24 to 48 hours around ovulation will catch LH at 20 to 75 IU/L. This is normal and is the most common reason for an isolated high LH in a woman with regular periods.

  6. Age-related decline in men

    LH rises by about 1 to 2 percent a year after 40 as the testes become less responsive. A high LH with a low-normal testosterone is called compensated hypogonadism and is common over 70.

  7. Gonadal dysgenesis and chromosomal conditions

    Turner syndrome (45,X) and its variants cause very high LH and FSH from adolescence because the ovaries contain almost no follicles.

  8. Gonadotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma

    Rare tumours that release LH or FSH, usually with headache, visual field loss or ovarian enlargement; most such adenomas are actually clinically silent and are found on imaging.

  9. Surgical removal of ovaries or testes

    LH and FSH rise within weeks of oophorectomy or orchiectomy, exactly as in natural menopause or testicular failure.

Symptoms that can go with it

  • Hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbance and irregular or absent periods (menopause or ovarian insufficiency)
  • Irregular, infrequent or absent periods with acne, oily skin, excess facial or body hair or scalp hair thinning (PCOS)
  • Difficulty conceiving
  • In men: low libido, erectile difficulty, fatigue, loss of muscle, small or firm testes, breast tissue, reduced facial hair growth
  • Tall stature, long limbs, small testes and learning or speech difficulties in adolescence (Klinefelter syndrome)
  • Short stature and absent puberty in girls (Turner syndrome)
  • None if the result is simply the mid-cycle surge

Low LH

A low LH matters when it comes with a low estradiol or testosterone, because that combination means the signal from the brain is missing rather than the gonads having failed. This is hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. In women the commonest form is functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, in which under-eating, weight loss, heavy exercise or psychological stress switch off GnRH pulses; LH is typically below 2 to 3 IU/L, estradiol below 50 pg/mL and periods stop. It accounts for 20 to 35 percent of secondary amenorrhea and is reversible when energy intake is restored, though that can take 6 to 12 months.

In men, a low or inappropriately normal LH with a low morning testosterone points to the pituitary or hypothalamus. The most frequent causes are obesity and type 2 diabetes (which blunt GnRH), opioid painkillers, anabolic steroids or prescribed testosterone (which switch the axis off within weeks and can take 6 to 18 months to recover), high prolactin and, less often, a pituitary tumour, iron overload or head injury. Guidelines recommend measuring prolactin and iron studies and considering pituitary MRI when testosterone is below about 150 ng/dL with a low LH.

A low LH is normal and expected in children before puberty, in pregnancy, on the combined pill, on hormonal IUDs or implants in some women, and during the luteal phase. It does not need investigation in those settings. If periods have not returned after stopping contraception, that is not a reason to wait: absent periods for more than three months when cycles were previously regular, or six months when they were irregular, warrant assessment.

Common causes

  1. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (low energy availability)

    Restrictive eating, rapid weight loss, a BMI under about 18.5, endurance training without enough fuel, or sustained stress suppress GnRH; LH falls below 2 to 3 IU/L and periods stop. Common in dancers, distance runners and women recovering from eating disorders.

  2. Hormonal contraception and hormone therapy

    The combined pill, patch and ring, and oral or transdermal estrogen with a progestin, suppress LH and FSH; results are uninterpretable while on them and for about 4 to 6 weeks after stopping.

  3. Testosterone therapy, anabolic steroids and SARMs in men

    External androgens shut down LH within 2 to 4 weeks, shrinking the testes and stopping sperm production; LH is often undetectable. Recovery after stopping takes months and is not guaranteed after long use.

  4. High prolactin

    Prolactin above about 25 ng/mL (from a prolactinoma, antipsychotics, antidepressants, hypothyroidism or stress) blocks GnRH pulses and lowers LH, causing missed periods, milky nipple discharge or low testosterone.

  5. Pituitary disease

    Non-functioning pituitary adenomas, surgery or radiation to the pituitary, Sheehan syndrome after a major postpartum haemorrhage, head injury, sarcoidosis and iron overload (hemochromatosis) all reduce LH, usually with other pituitary hormones affected too.

  6. Obesity and type 2 diabetes in men

    Visceral fat converts testosterone to estradiol and raises inflammatory signals that suppress GnRH; around 25 to 40 percent of men with obesity or type 2 diabetes have a low testosterone with a low-normal LH, and weight loss of 10 percent or more raises both.

  7. Opioids, glucocorticoids and some other drugs

    Long-term opioids (including methadone and buprenorphine) suppress LH in most users; high-dose steroids, GnRH agonists and antagonists (used for endometriosis, fibroids and prostate cancer) and some antipsychotics do the same.

  8. Congenital GnRH deficiency (Kallmann syndrome and related conditions)

    Absent or incomplete puberty with low LH, FSH and sex steroids, often with a reduced or absent sense of smell; affects about 1 in 8,000 men and 1 in 40,000 women.

  9. Pregnancy and the luteal phase

    Both are normal states of low LH. A low LH in a woman with a missed period should prompt a pregnancy test before any other interpretation.

Symptoms that can go with it

  • Missed or absent periods without hot flushes, often with low body weight, heavy training or recent weight loss
  • Low libido, vaginal dryness, loss of early-morning erections
  • Fatigue, low mood, poor concentration, loss of muscle mass
  • Stress fractures or low bone density, which low estrogen and testosterone both cause over time
  • Milky nipple discharge or headaches and visual changes, which suggest a pituitary cause
  • Reduced or absent sense of smell with delayed puberty (Kallmann syndrome)
  • Small, soft testes and infertility in men on testosterone or anabolic steroids

Read it alongside

  • FSH — the single most important partner: both high means gonadal failure, LH high with FSH normal suggests PCOS, both low means a pituitary or hypothalamic cause.
  • Estradiol — low estradiol with high LH and FSH confirms menopause or ovarian insufficiency; low estradiol with low LH confirms hypothalamic suppression.
  • Testosterone (men) — a morning total testosterone below 300 ng/dL on two occasions with a high LH means primary hypogonadism; with a low or normal LH, secondary.
  • Prolactin — the first test to add when LH is low, since high prolactin is a common and treatable cause.
  • Progesterone — a mid-luteal progesterone above 3 ng/mL confirms that an LH surge actually led to ovulation.
  • TSH — thyroid disease disrupts the cycle and can raise prolactin; checked in every amenorrhea or infertility work-up.
  • AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) — a steadier measure of ovarian reserve than LH or FSH, useful when results fluctuate in perimenopause.
  • Total testosterone, DHEA-S and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (women) — confirm and locate androgen excess when PCOS is suspected.

What usually happens next

  1. If the LH was drawn at a random point in the cycle, expect a repeat on cycle day 2 to 5 together with FSH, estradiol and prolactin, which is the standard baseline panel.
  2. A high LH and FSH in a woman under 40 is repeated after 4 to 6 weeks; two FSH values above 25 IU/L confirm premature ovarian insufficiency and lead to a karyotype, fragile X testing and adrenal and thyroid antibodies.
  3. For a suspected PCOS pattern, the diagnosis rests on two of three: irregular ovulation, clinical or biochemical androgen excess, and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a raised AMH, after excluding thyroid disease, high prolactin and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
  4. In men, a low testosterone with a low or normal LH leads to prolactin, iron studies, a review of medicines (opioids, steroids) and, if testosterone is under about 150 ng/dL or other pituitary hormones are abnormal, a pituitary MRI.
  5. If periods have stopped and LH is low, the useful questions are about weight change, exercise load, eating patterns and stress; a DEXA bone scan is often arranged if amenorrhea has lasted more than 6 months.
  6. Do a pregnancy test first whenever a period has been missed; it changes the meaning of every other result.

Diet, lifestyle and natural levers with evidence

What can move LH once the cause is known. Nothing here replaces finding the cause.

Restoring energy balance in hypothalamic amenorrhea

Strong evidence

In functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, increasing calorie intake, reducing training volume and regaining weight to a BMI of about 20 or more restores LH pulses and menstruation in 70 to 80 percent of women within 6 to 12 months; a weight gain of around 2 to 5 kg is typically needed. The Endocrine Society guideline recommends this, with cognitive behavioural therapy for the stress component, as first-line treatment, and advises against the pill as a fix because it masks the problem without restoring bone-protective hormone pulses.

Weight loss in PCOS and in men with obesity

Strong evidence

In women with PCOS and excess weight, losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight lowers LH and androgens and restores ovulation in around half within 6 months in lifestyle trials. In men with obesity, meta-analysis shows a weight loss of 10 percent or more raises total testosterone by about 80 to 100 ng/dL, with LH recovering as estradiol and inflammatory suppression ease; bariatric surgery produces larger changes.

Myo-inositol

Moderate evidence

Myo-inositol, usually 2 g twice a day for 3 to 6 months, improves insulin sensitivity in PCOS. A meta-analysis of randomised trials found it lowered LH and the LH:FSH ratio, reduced testosterone and increased ovulation frequency compared with placebo, with an effect on ovulation similar to metformin and fewer gut side effects. The international PCOS guideline lists it as an option for metabolic features while noting the trials are small.

Mild nausea or loose stools at higher doses. Not a substitute for ovulation induction if you are trying to conceive and have not ovulated after several months.

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus)

Preliminary evidence

Vitex acts on dopamine receptors to lower prolactin, and in small randomised trials (typically 20 to 40 mg of extract daily for 3 months) it lowered mildly raised prolactin and lengthened a short luteal phase in women with cycle irregularity linked to high prolactin. Its direct effect on LH is not well established and trials are small and short; it has no demonstrated role in PCOS or menopause-range LH.

Avoid in pregnancy, with dopamine-acting medicines (antipsychotics, Parkinson's drugs), hormonal contraception and hormone-sensitive cancers.

Sleep and shift-work regularity

Preliminary evidence

LH pulses in puberty and adulthood are entrained to sleep, and observational studies of shift workers and women with short or irregular sleep show more cycle irregularity and lower mid-cycle LH. Small intervention studies improving sleep regularity in women with irregular cycles have reported more regular ovulation, but randomised evidence is limited.

When to see a clinician promptly

  • Periods that have stopped for 3 months or more (or 6 months if they were previously irregular), or no period by age 15: needs assessment including a pregnancy test, LH, FSH, estradiol, prolactin and TSH.
  • High LH and FSH with a low estradiol before age 40: premature ovarian insufficiency has long-term bone and heart consequences and hormone replacement is usually recommended until the natural age of menopause.
  • Low LH with headaches, visual field loss, milky nipple discharge or other hormone symptoms (excess thirst and urination, intolerance of cold, dizziness on standing): possible pituitary disease needing imaging.
  • A man with low testosterone symptoms and a low LH who uses or has used anabolic steroids, SARMs, testosterone or long-term opioids; recovery needs supervision and fertility may be affected.
  • Any abnormal LH with sudden severe headache, collapse or visual loss: pituitary apoplexy is an emergency.
  • Difficulty conceiving after 12 months of trying (6 months if the woman is over 35), or any time if periods are absent or very irregular.

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal LH level?

In women of reproductive age, 1.9 to 12.5 IU/L during the follicular phase, 8.7 to 76 at the mid-cycle surge and 0.5 to 17 in the luteal phase; after menopause 16 to 54 IU/L. In adult men, 1.5 to 9.3 IU/L. IU/L and mIU/mL are the same number. Ranges vary between labs, so use the one printed on your report, and remember the result only makes sense alongside your cycle day, FSH and estradiol.

What LH level indicates ovulation?

There is no single number. Ovulation is triggered by the LH surge, a rise to roughly 3 to 10 times your own baseline, usually reaching 20 to 75 IU/L in blood, and ovulation happens 24 to 36 hours after the surge starts. Urine kits turn positive at about 25 to 40 mIU/mL. A blood LH does not prove you ovulated; a progesterone above 3 ng/mL about 7 days later does.

What LH:FSH ratio suggests PCOS?

A ratio above 2 (some use 3) on a day 2 to 5 sample is the traditional clue, because PCOS raises LH more than FSH. But only around a third to a half of women with PCOS show it, obesity blunts it, and it is not part of the diagnostic criteria. PCOS is diagnosed on irregular ovulation, androgen excess and ovarian appearance or AMH, after excluding other causes, so a normal ratio does not rule PCOS out and a high ratio alone does not confirm it.

What are LH levels in menopause?

After menopause LH is persistently raised, typically 16 to 54 IU/L, and FSH is usually higher, above 25 to 40 IU/L. During perimenopause both hormones swing between normal and menopausal values from month to month, so a single LH or FSH cannot confirm or exclude menopause in a woman still having any periods; in women over 45 the diagnosis is made on symptoms and 12 months without a period, not on blood tests.

Is a high LH bad for fertility?

It depends on why it is high. A high LH with high FSH means the ovaries have few follicles left and natural conception is unlikely. A high LH with normal FSH in PCOS is associated with anovulation and, in some studies, higher miscarriage rates, but ovulation can usually be induced and many women with PCOS conceive. A high LH that is just the mid-cycle surge is normal and in fact the fertile window.

Can stress lower LH?

Yes. Sustained psychological stress, under-eating and heavy exercise all suppress the GnRH pulses that drive LH, through cortisol and reduced leptin signalling. In functional hypothalamic amenorrhea LH often falls below 2 to 3 IU/L and periods stop. The effect is reversible: restoring energy intake, weight and rest, and treating the stress, brings LH pulses and cycles back in most women within 6 to 12 months.

Does a low LH in men mean low testosterone?

Not on its own. LH is only interpretable with a morning total testosterone measured twice. If testosterone is low and LH is low or normal, the problem is in the pituitary or hypothalamus (obesity, opioids, anabolic steroid use, high prolactin, pituitary disease). If testosterone is normal, a low-normal LH simply means the testes are responding well and nothing is wrong. Testosterone treatment itself lowers LH to near zero.

Do I need to fast or test on a certain day for LH?

No fasting is needed. Timing matters far more: for a baseline in a woman who has periods, day 2 to 5 of the cycle is standard; to confirm ovulation, progesterone is drawn about 7 days before the expected period rather than LH. Men are best tested in the morning alongside testosterone. Tell the lab if you take any hormonal contraception, HRT, testosterone or steroids, as these suppress LH.

References

  1. Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels test. MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine (2023)View source
  2. Luteinizing hormone (LH), serum: clinical and interpretive information. Mayo Clinic Laboratories (2024)
  3. Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, et al.. Recommendations from the 2023 international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2023)
  4. Gordon CM, Ackerman KE, Berga SL, et al.. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2017)
  5. Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al.. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2018)
  6. Webber L, Davies M, Anderson R, et al.. ESHRE guideline: management of women with premature ovarian insufficiency. Human Reproduction (2016)
  7. Direito A, Bailly S, Mariani A, Ecochard R. Relationships between the luteinizing hormone surge and other characteristics of the menstrual cycle in normally ovulating women. Fertility and Sterility (2013)
  8. Su HW, Yi YC, Wei TY, Chang TC, Cheng CM. Detection of ovulation, a review of currently available methods. Bioengineering and Translational Medicine (2017)
  9. Unfer V, Facchinetti F, Orrù B, Giordani B, Nestler J. Myo-inositol effects in women with PCOS: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Endocrine Connections (2017)
  10. Corona G, Rastrelli G, Monami M, et al.. Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Endocrinology (2013)
  11. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Diagnostic evaluation of the infertile female: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility (2015)
  12. Female reproductive endocrinology. Merck Manual Professional Version (2024)

Related markers

Related conditions

Evidence guides

Worried about your number?

Ask AskMN what your LH result could mean in the context of your other results, symptoms and medications. Free, unlimited, no account needed.

Ask about my LH

This page is educational and is not medical advice or a diagnosis. Lab results have to be interpreted together with your history, symptoms and other results by a clinician who knows you. Do not start or stop a supplement to change a lab value before the cause is known.