Menopause health

Blood test for menopause and perimenopause with FSH, oestradiol, thyroid function, cholesterol, glucose, glycated haemoglobin, vitamin D, calcium, full blood count and ferritin. It is designed to review the metabolic, thyroid, bone and blood picture around this stage, rather than to confirm a menopause that is often diagnosed from symptoms and the cycle.

No prescription or appointment needed

Results in 1-2 working days

Includes: FSH · Oestradiol · TSH · Free T4 · Lipid profile and ratios · Glucose · Glycated haemoglobin · Vitamin D · Calcium · Full blood count · Ferritin. See what each one measures

What it is for

It reviews factors that can change or become more relevant around menopause: cholesterol, glucose, thyroid, vitamin D and iron stores. It also provides a hormone value when age or the clinical situation makes it necessary to investigate possible ovarian insufficiency.

It does not directly measure bone loss. When age, early menopause or risk factors justify it, bone density is assessed with a bone density scan. Nor does it decide on its own whether hormone therapy is appropriate.

When it is recommended

Metabolic and thyroid review during perimenopause or postmenopause
Irregular or absent periods before the age of 45, when early ovarian insufficiency has to be investigated
Early or surgical menopause
Before considering hormone therapy, as part of a broader medical assessment
Tiredness or irregular bleeding that make it necessary to check the full blood count and ferritin

Clinical comment

In healthy women aged 45 or over with typical symptoms and cycle changes, NICE recommends diagnosing perimenopause or menopause clinically, without using FSH, oestradiol or AMH to confirm it. Hormones fluctuate, and an isolated value can confuse more than it clarifies.

FSH and oestradiol are kept because they can add information in younger women, in early menopause or when the picture is not the usual one. The main value of the profile lies in reviewing questions other than the diagnosis: metabolic risk, thyroid function, vitamin D and iron.

Bear in mind that calcium and vitamin D do not replace a bone density scan, and that abnormal cholesterol or glucose should not automatically be attributed to menopause. Age, weight, physical activity, medical history and treatments are still required to interpret the risk.

Dr. Antonio Mas

What is tested

FSH: Can support the assessment of ovarian insufficiency in younger women, but is not usually required to diagnose menopause from the age of 45.
Oestradiol: Reflects oestrogen production, although it fluctuates a great deal during perimenopause and does not confirm the diagnosis on its own.
TSH: Helps identify thyroid disorders that can cause similar symptoms.
Free T4: Completes the thyroid assessment.
Lipid profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides) and ratios
Glucose: Measures fasting blood sugar.
Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c): Reflects average glucose over the last two or three months.
Vitamin D (25-OH): Assesses vitamin D stores, which are relevant to bone metabolism.
Calcium: Gives basic information about mineral metabolism, but does not measure bone density.
Full blood count: Shows anaemia and other changes in the blood cells.
Ferritin: Assesses iron stores, especially after years of heavy or irregular periods.

How to prepare

Fast for 8 to 12 hours. You can drink water. If you still have periods, have the sample taken between days 2 and 5 of the cycle; if you no longer menstruate, it can be done on any day. Mention contraceptives or hormone therapy, because they change FSH, oestradiol and the metabolic profile.

You can add

Without another needle. It is offered when you order, so you do not have to decide now.

Sugar, insulin and inflammationAssesses insulin resistance through fasting insulin and the HOMA-IR index, plus average blood sugar over the last three months and low-grade inflammation.+€59.00
Advanced lipid panelExtends standard cholesterol with ApoB, lipoprotein(a) and homocysteine, markers that refine the assessment of cardiovascular risk and are not usually measured routinely.+€59.00

Related blood tests

We have other profiles in Women with more or fewer tests:

The most comprehensive is not always the most useful. If you are not sure, the one we recommend to start with is Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) blood test.

What it is based on

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence · actualizada en abril de 2026
Menopause: identification and management (NG23)
This is the source of the warning that opens the clinical comment. NICE identifies perimenopause and menopause without any blood test in people aged 45 or over with symptoms, and keeps FSH only for those aged 40 to 45 and those under 40. The same recommendation lists oestradiol among the tests that do not help from 45 onwards, together with AMH, inhibin and follicle count, so that half of the profile is mainly useful below that age. What this guideline does recommend at that stage of life is advice on bone health and cardiovascular prevention, which is the other half of what is measured here.

Protocol designed by Dr. Antonio Mas, specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition, Spanish medical licence no. 080846289, and reviewed in September 2026.

This blood test is a standardised protocol and does not replace a medical consultation. If you have symptoms, a known condition or a complex clinical situation, speak to your doctor.