Markers · Hormones
An estradiol result, and the right range depends on your cycle, or whether you still have one. Estradiol, read against the rest of you.
What estradiol measures, what it does in the body, why it's tested, and the two ranges it's read against. Everything said about the marker here comes from Merlin's own biomarker catalogue.
What estradiol is
Estradiol is the most potent and predominant form of estrogen, primarily produced by the ovaries in females and in smaller amounts by the testes and adrenal glands in males. It plays a critical role in reproductive health, bone density maintenance, cardiovascular protection, mood regulation, and cognitive function. Imbalances - either too high or too low - can signal hormonal dysfunction and are associated with conditions ranging from infertility and osteoporosis to estrogen-dependent cancers.
What it does in the body
Estradiol drives the development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics, regulates the menstrual cycle via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, supports endometrial proliferation, maintains bone mineral density by inhibiting osteoclast activity, promotes cardiovascular health through favorable lipid profiles and endothelial function, and influences serotonin and dopamine pathways affecting mood and cognition.
Why it's tested
Estradiol testing is used to evaluate ovarian function, menstrual irregularities, infertility, menopausal status, and pubertal development. It is also used to monitor hormone replacement therapy (HRT), assess bone loss risk, investigate gynecomastia in males, and guide assisted reproductive technology (ART) protocols such as IVF.
The two ranges
The reference range reflects population statistics. The target reflects physiology.
- Lab reference range
- Females (premenopausal): 15-350 pg/mL (cycle-dependent); Females (postmenopausal): <10-50 pg/mL; Males: 10-50 pg/mL
- Functional target
- Females (premenopausal, follicular phase): 30-150 pg/mL; Females (ovulatory peak): 100-400 pg/mL; Females (luteal phase): 50-200 pg/mL; Females (postmenopausal): <30 pg/mL; Males: 10-40 pg/mL
Those are different numbers, and you deserve to know which one you're looking at. Merlin reads your result against both.
Where this lives
A Field Guide to Menopause
The field guide that covers estradiol in depth, whole and public.
In a real read
The real read on this site is a Cardiovascular one, so there's no hormone panel in it. What it shows is the shape: one system, thought all the way through, with the score, the narrative and the layers underneath. A hormone panel gets one of these too, and where there's a cycle, it's read against the day it was drawn.
A real Cardiovascular surface from a real anonymized panel: the score, the narrative, the layers underneath. Yours will be built the same way, on your own numbers.
Educational context for your conversations with your licensed healthcare provider, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Merlin reads results; it doesn't diagnose.
Read next to
No estradiol result yet? You can order it inside Merlin: it's on Complete Female ($670) and Complete Male ($745).
Bring the panel this number came from. Merlin reads it against everything else you have, every system and every year, then shows you what it means and what's worth finding out next. Start with your first month.