The Hormometer, an innovative at-home hormone testing system, has been announced by Eli Health, allowing users to measure cortisol and progesterone levels using their smartphone camera and a saliva sample. This one-step test aims to provide users with personalized trends and recommendations related to stress, sleep, athletic performance, and fertility.

The Hormometer consists of a thin cartridge that users place in their mouth for 60 seconds to collect a saliva sample. The Eli app then uses the phone's camera to assess the test's results based on criteria like color intensity and sample patterns. The system offers two types of hormone tests: cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, and progesterone, a reproductive hormone. Abnormal levels of these hormones have been linked to various negative health outcomes, including Cushing's syndrome, unintentional weight gain or loss, fatigue, Type 2 diabetes, and abnormal blood pressure.

The Hormometer is part of a growing trend in health and wellness, with connected at-home testing kits gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The system's portability and accessibility are significant advantages, as traditional hormone tests often require lab visits and can take several days or weeks to produce results. Eli Health's subscription plan, starting at $8 monthly with a 12-month commitment, is competitive with other at-home hormone tests, which can range from roughly $30 to $250 and require users to mail in samples.

While hormone balancing has become a popular wellness trend, experts have raised concerns about its misleading and potentially harmful nature. Hormones are dynamic and naturally fluctuate throughout the day, making it impossible to truly "balance" them. However, the Hormometer could be beneficial for individuals with official diagnoses of chronic hormonal or reproductive health issues, allowing them to monitor their conditions more easily.

The accuracy of the Hormometer is a crucial aspect, with Eli Health claiming that its cortisol and progesterone tests had a 97 percent and 94 percent agreement with gold-standard, FDA-approved lab tests in third-party testing, respectively. Although the Hormometer is FDA-registered, this does not imply FDA clearance or approval. The company plans to expand its testing capabilities, with testosterone and estradiol tests in development.

Eli Health will begin beta access to the Hormometer this month in the US and Canada, with a full release expected later this year. As the health tech industry continues to evolve, the Hormometer has the potential to revolutionize the way people monitor and manage their hormone levels, providing a convenient, accessible, and accurate solution for those seeking to take control of their health.