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Timed cortisol and DHEA profile · Saliva at home

Adrenal Stress Profile
Your stress hormone pattern.

Reports cortisol and DHEA from timed saliva samples collected at home. The laboratory report shows the measured daily pattern; it does not by itself diagnose burnout, adrenal disease or another condition.

Order Adrenal Stress Profile — 2 100 kr

Direct purchase: kit, Genova laboratory analysis and laboratory report included. No mandatory consultation. Medical interpretation and treatment are optional and separate.

Timed salivaHome collectionLaboratory reportOptional medical review
SalivaSpecimen type
4Daily measurements
HomeCollection — kit shipped
14–21Days turnaround
Understanding the sample

A timed saliva profile is one type of measurement

Cortisol varies over the day, so timed collection can report a daily pattern. Blood and saliva are different sample matrices and should not be treated as universal substitutes.

The laboratory profile does not alone diagnose burnout, “adrenal fatigue,” insomnia or autoimmune disease. Symptoms require appropriate medical assessment.

GCR — The HPA axis in the constraint hierarchy

Do not start hormones, DHEA, adaptogens or other treatment based only on a self-ordered report. Discuss abnormal findings with an appropriate healthcare professional.

GCR Protocol · Three diagnostic layers

Clinical review is optional and separate

1
NutrEval is a separate test reporting selected nutrition- and metabolism-related markers. It does not identify the cause of a cortisol pattern or diagnose HPA-axis dysfunction.
2
Adrenal Stress Profile maps the cortisol and DHEA pattern throughout the day. Four measurement points provide the clinically meaningful diurnal rhythm that a single blood test can never deliver.
3
WGS genomic analysis reveals genetic variants in CYP21A2 and other adrenal-related genes — explaining why cortisol metabolism is structurally impaired, not merely functionally fatigued.
What It Measures

Four clinical measurement domains

Domain 01 · Morning

Morning Cortisol

The Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) is measured upon waking. An insufficient morning peak indicates impaired HPA-axis activation capacity — one of the earliest signs of adrenal fatigue and ME/CFS.

Domain 02 · Daytime Rhythm

Daytime Cortisol

Cortisol levels at noon and afternoon map the midpoint of the diurnal rhythm. Elevated daytime cortisol indicates chronic stress burden. Low daytime cortisol with symptoms confirms HPA-axis exhaustion.

Domain 03 · Evening

Evening Cortisol

The evening value measures recovery capacity and the hormonal substrate of sleep quality. Elevated evening cortisol — cortisol that does not decline sufficiently — is the most common hormonal cause of insomnia and early morning waking.

Domain 04 · DHEA

DHEA — Adrenal Reserve

DHEA-S is measured as a marker of the adrenal glands' anabolic capacity and vitality reserve. Low DHEA relative to cortisol — a high catabolic/anabolic ratio — indicates impaired resilience and accelerated biological ageing.

Sample Report

What your results look like

The Adrenal Stress Profile report shows your cortisol and DHEA pattern graphically throughout the day, compared against clinical reference curves for healthy and fatigued populations.

Adrenal Stress Profile sample report — cortisol and DHEA diurnal rhythm

Four clinical domains

  • 01 Morning Cortisol — awakening response and HPA-axis activation
  • 02 Daytime Cortisol — diurnal variation and stress burden
  • 03 Evening Cortisol — recovery capacity and sleep quality
  • 04 DHEA — adrenal reserve and anabolic/catabolic balance
Optional clinic route

If you later choose MediBalans care

The steps below describe a separate clinical service, not what is included in the SEK 2,100 direct test price.

01
Optional Clinical Consultation
A separately booked medical review may consider whether the report is relevant to your symptoms and whether other assessment is needed. Fatigue or sleep symptoms do not automatically make this test appropriate.
GCR AssessmentHistory
02
Sample Collection & Laboratory Analysis
The kit is shipped to your home. Saliva samples are collected four times: upon waking, at noon, in the afternoon and at bedtime. The samples are sent directly to Genova's laboratory. Turnaround 14–21 days.
Home test4 samplesCLIA-certified
03
Optional Medical Interpretation
If booked, a clinician reviews the report alongside history, medication and other relevant findings. Additional tests are considered only if clinically justified and separately agreed.
Multi-layer analysisGCR hierarchyPrioritisation
04
Separate Care Plan, If Indicated
Any diagnosis, treatment or follow-up plan requires a medical assessment and is not included in the home-test purchase.
Targeted treatment3–6 monthsFollow-up
Why MediBalans

What sets us apart

01

The HPA axis is never interpreted in isolation

At MediBalans, the cortisol and DHEA profile is cross-referenced with NutrEval nutrient status and WGS genomic data. It is the combination that reveals whether adrenal dysfunction is primary or secondary to nutritional deficiency and genetic factors.

02

Exclusive Genova Distributor

MediBalans is the exclusive Genova Diagnostics distributor in Sweden with a direct laboratory relationship and full access to all Genova panels.

03

We sell no supplements

MediBalans sells no supplements. All recommendations — adaptogens, magnesium, DHEA — are based exclusively on what the cortisol and DHEA measurements show.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Adrenal Stress Profile

The Adrenal Stress Profile is a saliva-based test that measures cortisol and DHEA-S four times throughout the day — upon waking, at noon, in the late afternoon and at bedtime. It maps the diurnal rhythm of the HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) and reveals dysfunction patterns that a single blood test cannot detect. The test differentiates between hypercortisolism (too high), hypocortisolism (adrenal fatigue) and dysregulated patterns (elevated at the wrong time of day).

Serum cortisol measured at a single time point gives a static value without diurnal context. HPA-axis function is assessed clinically via the diurnal rhythm pattern — not via a single value. Cortisol normally varies 10-fold throughout the day. Salivary cortisol at four time points provides the clinically meaningful diurnal curve and reveals whether the morning peak is insufficient, whether evening levels are too high, or whether the diurnal rhythm is inverted.

The kit is shipped home with four saliva collection tubes and detailed instructions. Samples are collected upon waking (immediately on waking, before eating or drinking), at noon, in the late afternoon and at bedtime. Each sample requires 1–2 ml of saliva. All samples are refrigerated and sent together to the laboratory.

Yes. Order directly for SEK 2,100. The price includes the kit, Genova laboratory analysis and laboratory report. Medical interpretation and treatment are optional and separate.

Related tests

Often combined with Adrenal Stress Profile

Complete Nutritional Status · Genova

NutrEval® — Complete Nutritional Profile

NutrEval is a separate blood-and-urine test. It does not identify the cause of a cortisol pattern or provide cause and remedy when combined with this saliva profile.
Hormonal Diagnostics · Genova

Women's Health Plus+ — Complete Hormone Panel

Women's Health Plus+ combines sex hormones, cortisol, DHEA and melatonin in a comprehensive saliva-based hormone panel.
Genomic · Genova

MethylDetox — 38 Methylation Genes

Methylation impairment via COMT and MAOB affects cortisol metabolism and breakdown of stress hormones. MethylDetox provides the genetic framework.

How does the Adrenal Stress Profile compare to other cortisol tests?

A fact-based comparison.

MediBalans / Adrenal Stress GetTested / Female hormone test Holistic Cortisol test Standard blood test
Cortisol data points4 during the day + CAR1 (morning)7 during the day1 (random)
DHEA✓✓—Separate test
DHEA/Cortisol ratio✓———
Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)✓———
Diurnal rhythm (curve)✓ Full curveMorning value only✓ Full curve—
LaboratoryGenova, CLIA-cert., USAUnknownISO15189Regional lab
Medical interpretationOptional, booked separatelyCheck sellerCheck sellerVia referral
PriceSEK 2,100Included in package ~SEK 1,500~SEK 1,200SEK 0–200

These tests use different sample matrices and schedules. Third-party scope and prices can change; verify current details before comparing or ordering.

Direct order

Map your
stress hormone pattern.

SEK 2,100 includes the kit, laboratory analysis and laboratory report. No consultation is required. Optional medical interpretation can be booked separately after the report is ready.

Order Adrenal Stress Profile — 2 100 kr Book

Direct order and MediBalans clinical care are separate services.

Keep reading. All 47 articles — symptom guides, clinical notes, investigations and diagnostics — are collected and searchable in the knowledge base.

Go to the knowledge base →

One complimentary month included

Explore your Genova report with Meet Mario

Every Genova test ordered through MediBalans includes one complimentary month of Meet Mario access. Use it to explore the report, receive contextual explanations and collect questions about the results.

Digital support is not a medical assessment. The test purchase does not create a MediBalans patient relationship; clinical interpretation, treatment and follow-up are separate services.

See what Meet Mario can help with
Meet Mario view for exploring a laboratory report