By Dr. David LaMond, Medical Director – Blue Sky MD
At Blue Sky MD, we’re always looking for better ways to understand why your hormones are out of balance—not just treat numbers on a lab report. One of the newest tools we’ve added to our hormone panels is LH, short for Luteinizing Hormone.
Because you’ll start seeing LH show up more often on your lab results, I want you to understand what it means and why it matters.
What Does the LH Hormone Do?
LH is a hormone made by your pituitary gland, a small but powerful gland at the base of your brain. Its job is to “signal” your ovaries (in women) or testes (in men) to produce hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Think of LH as your body’s internal communication line:
- When your body needs more hormones → LH rises
- When the levels are sufficient → LH drops
By measuring LH alongside testosterone, estrogen, and other markers, we can better understand whether a hormone imbalance is coming from:
- The glands themselves, or
- The pituitary signaling system
That distinction often changes the entire treatment strategy.
Why We Added LH to Your Labs
We included LH in our hormone therapy panels because it gives us a clearer picture of what’s happening beneath the surface.
1. It helps us determine the root cause of low hormones
Low testosterone or estrogen can happen for several reasons—aging, stress, lifestyle, medications, or pituitary issues. LH helps us pinpoint which reason applies to you.
2. It helps us catch pituitary issues early
A very low LH level (in someone who isn’t taking hormones or birth control) can be an early sign that the pituitary gland needs attention.
3. It helps us understand the effect of weight, stress, medications, and sleep
LH patterns are influenced by:
- Excess weight and insulin resistance
- Chronic opioid use (including Suboxone)
- Shift work and disrupted sleep cycles (firefighters, law enforcement, healthcare workers)
- Under-eating, overtraining, and past eating disorders (especially in women)
All of these are common in the patients we care for, and LH helps us interpret their impact.
What LH Tells Us in Men
Low testosterone + high LH → Testes aren’t responding well
This pattern often shows up with:
- Age-related decline (“andropause”)
- Prior injury or surgery
- Radiation or chemotherapy
- Genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome
Low testosterone + low or normal LH → A signaling problem
This tells us the issue is likely in the pituitary or hypothalamus, not the testes.
Common causes include:
- Excess weight or visceral fat
- Obstructed sleep or shift work
- Chronic stress
- Opioid or Suboxone use (highly suppressive to LH)
On TRT (testosterone therapy)
LH will be low or fully suppressed. This is normal.
On clomiphene or enclomiphene
These medications stimulate your own natural testosterone production by increasing LH—especially useful for younger men who want to maintain fertility.
What LH Tells Us in Women
LH naturally varies throughout the menstrual cycle, which means interpretation depends on whether you’re:
- Premenopausal
- Perimenopausal
- Postmenopausal
- On birth control
- On hormone therapy
Postmenopausal women
Ovaries stop responding to pituitary signals, so LH (and FSH) rise. Higher LH/FSH is often associated with more symptoms and, if untreated long-term, increased cardiovascular risk.
Younger women with symptoms
Low estrogen with low or normal LH can indicate:
- Under-fueling
- Over-exercising
- High levels of stress
- Past fertility issues
- Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea
Women on birth control or HRT
LH may be low or suppressed—expected and not concerning.
How LH Helps Your Weight, Energy, and Metabolism
Hormones influence far more than mood or libido. When LH is out of range—and therefore the hormones it regulates are imbalanced—you can feel it throughout your entire body.
Muscle mass
Hormone signaling determines your ability to build and maintain lean muscle. When LH-driven hormones drop, muscle breaks down more easily, metabolism slows, and blood sugar becomes harder to control.
Fat distribution (especially belly fat)
Low testosterone or estrogen shifts fat storage toward the abdomen, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation. Restoring hormonal balance improves how your body uses and stores energy.
Sleep and recovery
Poor LH signaling often shows up first as disrupted sleep—light sleep, nighttime waking, and slow recovery. Balanced hormones support deeper, more restorative sleep.
Pain sensitivity
Estrogen and testosterone affect pain pathways in the brain. Low levels increase pain sensitivity, stiffness, and migraines. Improved hormone balance often leads to better pain control and faster recovery.
Cardiometabolic health
Hormones play an important role in:
- Glucose regulation
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol balance
- Inflammation
Disrupted LH patterns are linked to higher risks of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Optimizing hormone signaling protects these systems.
When LH Tells Us to Look at the Pituitary
A very low LH level in someone not taking hormones or birth control is a red flag.
In those cases, we may check:
- Prolactin
- Thyroid function
- Cortisol
- DHEA
- IGF-1
If multiple hormones are off, we may consider imaging or a referral to endocrinology. This doesn’t mean something serious is happening — but it does mean we’re being thorough.
What You Can Do
Here’s how you can help us evaluate your LH and hormone health more accurately:
- Share your full menstrual, fertility, and birth control history
- Disclose past or present opioid or Suboxone use
- Be open about your true eating, stress, and exercise patterns
- Bring your questions — you should fully understand your hormone plan
Why We Added LH to lab panels
Adding LH to your lab panel allows us to dig deeper into why your hormones are off and how to correct them safely and effectively.
By understanding where the hormone signal is breaking down — the gland or the pituitary — we can personalize your treatment, improve your metabolism, optimize your energy, and support long-term health.
If you’re a current patient, you can look forward to additional insights into your next lab panel. If you’re a prospective patient, schedule your initial lab appointment and start measuring your hormonal health more accurately today.
— Dr. David LaMond
Dr. David LaMond, MD
Founder, Medical Director, Blue Sky MD
Dr. LaMond is a nutrition and prevention expert; who is a successful medical entrepreneur. Dave developed and operates numerous successful medical practices, along with a consulting company which helps physicians and medical practitioners operate successful independent practices. Drawing from his foundation and board certification in Family Medicine, he developed the innovative medical principles behind the Blue Sky MD concept of total patient care. Blue Sky MD has appeared on the INC 5000 list three times; as one of the 5000 fastest growing privately held companies in the US.
Dave has been a featured speaker for numerous medical conferences and has been a business and health consultant and has made several appearances on health television broadcasts. His written work has been featured in medical journals and other print media; with a focus on sports medicine, nutrition, wellness and non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
Additionally, Dr. LaMond has been a luminary, speaker and consultant for Crescent Health Solutions, Eleme Medical, Osyris, Suneva Medical and Candela Corporations, served as a clinical professor for Wake Forest University and is an expert in non-invasive and minimally invasive body contouring and cosmetic laser surgery.
Dr LaMond is passionate about the outdoors and has a love for mountain biking. He works as a nutritional coach and physician for professional cyclists, and enjoys training and riding along-side them. Dave has competed in high level mountain bike events regionally and nationally in masters level competition and has been on the podium at USA cycling National Championships.
High LH (luteinizing hormone) usually means your body is trying to stimulate hormone production when your ovaries or testicles aren’t responding properly. In women, this most commonly happens during menopause or with conditions like PCOS. In men, it typically indicates testicular problems that affect testosterone production.
Symptoms can include irregular periods, hot flashes, low libido, fertility issues, and fatigue. Since high LH is often a sign that your reproductive organs aren’t working optimally, it’s important to work with a healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.
Low LH (luteinizing hormone) typically indicates a problem with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus – the parts of your brain that control hormone production. This is called “secondary” or “central” hypogonadism, where the signal to produce sex hormones is weak or absent.
Common causes include pituitary tumors, head injuries, chronic stress, excessive exercise, eating disorders, or certain medications. Symptoms are similar to hormone deficiency – irregular or absent periods in women, low testosterone symptoms in men (fatigue, low libido, erectile dysfunction), infertility, and mood changes. Treatment usually involves addressing the underlying cause or hormone replacement therapy to restore normal levels.
Yes, stress can significantly affect LH levels, typically causing them to decrease. When you’re under chronic stress, your body produces high levels of cortisol, which suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis – essentially telling your brain to reduce LH production as a survival mechanism.
This stress-induced LH suppression can lead to irregular or missed periods in women, reduced testosterone in men, decreased libido, and fertility issues. The effect is particularly pronounced with chronic stress, extreme physical stress (like intense exercise or severe illness), or psychological stress. Managing stress through lifestyle changes, adequate sleep, and stress reduction techniques can help restore normal LH levels.
Yes, LH can affect mood, but it’s usually indirect. LH itself doesn’t directly control mood, but abnormal LH levels often signal problems with sex hormone production (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), and these hormones have major effects on mood and mental well-being.
When LH is too high or too low, it typically means your sex hormones are imbalanced, which can lead to mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, and general emotional instability. This is why people going through menopause, dealing with PCOS, or having testosterone issues often experience mood changes alongside their LH fluctuations. Treating the underlying hormone imbalance usually helps improve both LH levels and mood symptoms.
