- Concerns Over Reliability of Menopausal Hormone Tests
- Eurofins Continues Testing Despite Accuracy Concerns
- Potential Impact on Women’s Health and Healthcare System
Experts have cautioned that a menopausal woman’s online finger-prick hormone test may provide unreliable results.
Online retailers sell finger-prick tests for the hormone oestradiol for between £50 and £180, depending on the test’s features.
They are frequently used by women undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or IVF to monitor menopause or fertility levels and can influence decisions regarding the need for additional drugs or testing.
Eurofins, a major UK laboratory, continues to perform finger prick oestradiol tests despite concerns about accuracy.
The 2021 Eurofins study indicated that finger-prick blood samples had lower oestradiol levels than vein-drawn samples.
Despite advising online sellers of the discrepancy, the business continued to execute tests, according to the BMJ.
Former company insiders told The BMJ that the results of the company’s internal studies indicated that the test was unreliable and that the company should have ceased processing it.
An ex-employee stated that the fact Eurofins continued to conduct these tests after potential issues were identified demonstrated “a lack of duty of care and regard for patients.”
Another added: ‘Some consumers who use this product are bodybuilders, those undergoing hormone replacement therapy, or those undergoing IVF. It’s not an emergency, but you’d like the result to be as accurate as feasible.
Every exam has consequences.
Jessica Watson, a GP in Bristol who studies the use of tests, stated: ‘There is a risk that results could be misinterpreted or misleading, which could have consequences for women if they believe, for instance, that they are more or less fertile, even if this only slightly influences their decision-making.
If this confuses or worries them, they’ll consult their GP, which strains the NHS.
David Wells, CEO of the Institute of Biomedical Science, is highlighting the lack of oversight of online testing and labs.
“The home testing and home sampling arena lacks the scrutiny and clinical oversight of a hospital main laboratory accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and regulated by the Care Quality Commission,” he explained.
In essence, these fall outside of the majority of regulations.
The investigation reveals that Eurofins did inform online retailer clients that finger prick test results were inferior to those obtained from vein samples, but did not cease processing the tests.
