Weight Management Profile
Updated over a week ago

Test Details

Lab Company: ZRT
โ€‹ Sample Type: Saliva, Blood Spot
โ€‹ Collection Location: At Home

The Weight Management Profile measures 9 different hormones associated with weight gain.

Key Details

  • Men, children, and non-menstruating women can collect any day of the month.

  • Menstruating women should collect on specific days of their cycles.

  • If you are using hormones, collect according to the schedule below.

  • If you are taking steroids, talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate timing.

  • Avoid anti-aging/anti-wrinkle facial creams for 3 days prior to testing.

  • Fast overnight prior to collection.

  • Ship your samples as soon as possible.

Preparation & Timing

  • Men, children, and non-menstruating women can collect any day of the month.

  • Menstruating women should collect according to the following schedule:

    • Regular cycles: Collect on Day 19, 20, or 21 of your cycle.

      • Day 1 is the first day of your period.

    • Irregular cycles: Collect 5 days before your period begins.

    • Unpredictable cycles: Collect any day when you're not bleeding.

  • If you use topical or oral hormones,

    • Apply/take any night dosage at least 12 hours prior to your morning collection.

    • Avoid applying hormones with your bare hands for at least 2 days prior to collection.

    • Avoid using hormones on your face, lips, and neck.

    • Change your sheets, pillowcases, and hand towels the night before collection.

    • Avoid touching any surfaces which may be contaminated with hormones prior to collection.

  • If you use hormone patches, vaginal rings, pellets, or injectables,

    • Test halfway between doses.

    • Example: 3 days after a once-a-week patch

  • If you use sublingual hormones or troches,

    • Talk to your healthcare provider. It is not recommended that you take this test.

  • If you are taking steroids (glucocorticoids, prednisone, etc.), talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate timing.

  • Avoid the following medications for 3 days prior to collection:

    • 7-Keto DHEA

    • Anti-aging/anti-wrinkle face creams

  • Fast overnight for at least 10-12 hours prior to collection.

    • You can drink water during the fast.

  • For at least 2 hours prior to each saliva collection, do not

    • Eat

    • Drink anything but water

    • Brush your teeth

Collection Instructions


Saliva Collection

  1. Collect your first saliva sample within 30 minutes of waking for the day.

    1. Use the large tube.

  2. Wash your hands with soap and water.

  3. Use a clean towel to dry your hands.

  4. Rinse your mouth with water.

  5. Wait 5 minutes before beginning your collection.

  6. Allow saliva to pool in your mouth and then transfer it to the tube.

  7. Fill the tube at least half full, not including bubbles.

    1. If you have difficulty producing saliva, try

      1. Smelling food

      2. Yawning

      3. Pressing the tip of your tongue against your teeth

  8. Write your name, the date of collection, and the time of collection on the tube.

  9. Place the tube back in the bag.

  10. Place the tube in the freezer.

  11. Repeat steps 2-10 using the smaller tubes for the other three collections.

    1. Collection 2: before lunch

    2. Collection 3: before dinner

    3. Collection 4: before bed

Note: If you make a mistake collecting your saliva, rinse your tubes out with hot water (no soap), shake out any remaining water, and air dry. Restart your collection at the appropriate time.


Blood Spot Collection

  1. Collect your blood sample within 1 hour of waking.

  2. Wash your hands with soap and water.

  3. Use a clean towel to dry your hands.

  4. Write your name, the date of collection, and the time of collection on the card.

  5. Open the cover of the collection card.

  6. Fold it back and away from the filter paper.

    1. Do NOT touch the filter paper.

  7. Tape the card to a flat surface below waist level.

  8. Open the alcohol prep pad and sterile gauze.

  9. Select the finger you will use.

    1. The middle or ring finger on your non-dominant hand is recommended.

  10. Wipe your finger with the alcohol prep pad.

  11. Let your finger air dry for 15-30 seconds.

  12. Twist the cap off the lancet.

  13. Press the small white section against the side of your chosen finger until you hear a click.

  14. Wipe away the first drop of blood with the gauze.

  15. Position your finger above a circle on the collection card.

  16. Gently massage your finger to form a large, hanging blood drop.

  17. Touch the blood drop to the center of the circle.

    1. Do NOT touch the card with your finger.

    2. Place only one drop per circle.

  18. Fill all circles on the card.

  19. Apply the bandage to your finger.

  20. Leave the blood spot card open to air dry for at least 4 hours.

    1. Keep the card in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.

  21. When the sample is dry, close the flap.

Requisition & Payment

  • Your kit has been prepaid. You DO NOT need to pay anything extra.

  • Instructions on how to fill out your requisition can be found HERE.

    • Since you pre-paid for your tests, you do not need to fill in the payment information on any of these forms.

Shipping

  • Ship the samples as soon as possible.

  • To prepare your samples for shipping,

    • Place the frozen saliva tubes into the test kit box.

    • Place the dried blood spot card into the test kit box.

    • Place the test requisition form into the test kit box.

    • Place the test kit box into the return envelope.

    • Affix the label to the envelope.

  • Make a note of the return tracking number so that you can track the samples back to the lab.

Results

  • Results should be released to your provider 3-5 business days after samples are received at the lab. We cannot guarantee processing time.

  • Your provider will notify you when your results are in and schedule a follow-up appointment for you to review them together.

More Resources

Questions?

For general questions, email Rupa Health at support@rupahealth.com. For test-specific questions, contact ZRT by calling 866-600-1636.

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