Know your numbers.
Good decisions start with real data, not a guess or a five-question quiz. Testosterone therapy and hCG require recent lab work to start. For most other programs labs are not required up front — you can complete them 60 to 90 days in. Either way, knowing your numbers is worth it.
Why labs matter
- You can't manage what you haven't measured.
- A clinician needs real data to make a safe, appropriate plan.
- Testing is worth doing whether or not you start any program.
- It replaces guesswork with a baseline you can track over time.
Good to know
- You receive your full lab report to keep. A clinician's interpretation is available on request through Altro.
- You'll see panel details and cost on Altro.
- You can bring outside lab results, too.
- Availability can vary by state.
The kind of markers these panels cover.
General education, not a reading of your results. These are read together and in context, never a single number on its own.
Total & free testosterone, estradiol
Fasting glucose, A1c, insulin
Lipid panel, ApoB
CBC, hematocrit
TSH and related markers
Vitamin D, B12
Labs for TRT & hCG.
Eligibility for testosterone or hCG is determined by a licensed clinician based on your history, symptoms, laboratory results, and treatment goals. Here is how the labs work.
Recent bloodwork required
You will need blood work from the last 12 months, ideally completed before ordering testosterone. No recent labs? Order our TRT Initial Panel at low cost, or complete it independently and upload your results. Draw between 7 and 10am; panel includes CMP, CBC, TSH, Free T4, Testosterone (free & total), Estradiol, LH & FSH, SHBG, DHEA-Sulfate, PSA (free & total), AM serum Cortisol, Prolactin, and Ferritin.
First follow-up
Complete a lab test within your first 90 days on therapy so your clinician can confirm you are in the right range. Order the TRT Maintenance Panel or complete it independently: CMP, CBC, Testosterone (total & free), Estradiol, LH & FSH, SHBG, PSA (free & total).
Ongoing monitoring
After the 90-day check-in, the TRT Maintenance Panel is required once a year.
Labs for GLP-1.
For GLP-1 you do not have to start with labs. A panel is required within 90 days to continue treatment, then annually, so your clinician can see how your body is responding and adjust your dose. The GLP-1 panel is available at low cost through us and drawn at a lab center near you, or complete it independently and upload your results.
Three steps.
Order your labs
Choose a panel on Altro, or bring results you already have.
Get your report
You receive your full results to keep.
Use them
When you start a program, the prescribing clinician uses your labs. Want a clinician's interpretation? You can request one through Altro.
Order labs on Altro.
Manly.Health hands you off to Altro Health's licensed clinicians and labs. No program required — testing first is always a smart move.