A hormone panel is a standard set of hormone tests. The test is differentiated by sex. In most cases, it is the saliva that is tested as it tends to show a more accurate level of hormones that are not already bound to a protein. Blood and blood plasma are a poorer choice as the testing procedures can release hormones that are actually bound to blood protein.
The test is commonly run on aging patients, particularly women close to menopause, or where there appears to be a change in metabolism. They are also routinely run on patients who are receiving hormone replacement therapy. The most common tests in the panel are the three sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. In addition, the levels of DHEA and cortisol are tested.