Val, normal ranges - how are they computed?

January 18, 2008

> Last Years Blood Cortisol

> 1/2/07 23 Range is 7-24

>

> Yesterdays Blood Cortisol

> 1/15/08 10.1 range is 4-24

>

> Ranges liek these are why so many of us canntpo get a doctor to

> treat us.

>

I assume these were at the same lab. Why would the lower end of the

range *drop* by such a large amount (if 20-25 is bottom-of-optimal,

then I'd think a difference of 3 might be significant). If the lab

equip changed, I'd expect the upper point would change as well.

Val, how DO they develop the normal ranges? I assume they just

take a large cohort of people - not separated by age of course,

probably 20% who can't get up without 2 cups of coffee, 20% who can't

get to sleep ( " let them take Lunesta.. " ), and another 20-30% who have

depression or dysthymia..

Are there studies about these things - or is all this done is some

back room by drug company men who smoke cigarettes (with X-Files

music in the background of course)

Jim

January 18, 2008

Last Years Blood Cortisol

> 1/2/07 23 Range is 7-24

>

> Yesterdays Blood Cortisol

> 1/15/08 10.1 range is 4-24

>

There is the other possibility, one is and AM cortisol range and one is a RANDOM

cortios range wiht hte random being the lower of the two. Unfortunately I doubt

there are studies done to determine lab ranges but rather a random selection of

the population that takes these tests will be used to set a " normal " finding.

This is where 80% of the peole being tested fall into, HOWEVER liek wiht

thyroid, SO many of the population are now becoming hypothyroid that a good

pervcent of the ones used to set the ranges are HYPO. Thus the ranges have

steadily been lowered to wher the normal ranges are not normal function any

longer. I suspect the same may be happening with cortisol ranges. Look at the

OLD accepted ranges for thyroid here:

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Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

January 18, 2008