The Deeper Female Lab Panels I Actually Run (and the Optimal Ranges I Aim For) Verified by Dr. Sara Szal, MD

Written By Kayla Barnes

Most doctors run a basic panel, tell you everything looks fine, and send you home.

But here's the problem. "Normal" lab ranges are based on population averages. They're designed to flag disease, not to tell you whether you're actually thriving.

There's a huge difference between "not sick" and "optimal." Especially for women, where so many of the markers that affect how we feel, how we age, and how our hormones function aren't even included in a standard panel.

I've spent years building out a deeper lab panel that covers the systems most relevant to female health and longevity. These are the tests I personally run on myself, usually quarterly, and the optimal ranges I aim for.

Dr. Sara Gottfried, one of the most respected hormone and longevity researchers in the country, reviewed these ranges.

I want to be clear: these are the ranges I optimize toward based on my own research and the guidance of my medical team. Every woman is different. Your results should always be interpreted with your doctor in the context of your symptoms, age, cycle phase, and full health picture.

But if your doctor has only been running the basics, this might change the conversation.

Female Hormones

These aren't just "fertility hormones." They influence your brain, bones, muscle, metabolism, heart health, and overall vitality.

  • Estradiol (E2): optimal 60-400 pg/mL (varies by cycle phase)

  • Progesterone (day 19-21): optimal 10-25 ng/mL

  • Total testosterone: optimal 40-70 ng/dL

  • Free testosterone: optimal 2-5 pg/mL

DHEA-S

This one shifts with age, so the targets look different depending on where you are.

  • Under 40: optimal 200-350+ µg/dL

  • Over 40: optimal 100-300 µg/dL (I target 200-350)

Ovarian Reserve

  • AMH: age-dependent, but higher generally means more ovarian reserve. This is one of the most important markers for women to start tracking early.

  • FSH and LH: vary by cycle phase. Most useful when interpreted together and in context.

Metabolic Health

This is where most standard panels fall short. Your doctor probably checks fasting glucose. But fasting insulin is arguably more important, and most doctors don't test it.

  • Fasting insulin: optimal 2-5 µIU/mL (standard reference goes up to 25, which is way too generous)

  • Fasting glucose: optimal 72-85 mg/dL

  • HbA1c: optimal 4.8-5.2%

  • HOMA-IR: optimal under 1.0

If your fasting insulin is creeping up but your glucose still looks "normal," that's an early signal your body is working harder than it should to keep blood sugar in range. You want to catch this before it becomes a problem, not after.

Cardiovascular Health

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. These markers give you a much clearer picture than standard cholesterol alone.

  • ApoB: optimal under 80 mg/dL (under 60 if you're higher risk)

  • Lp(a): optimal under 30 mg/dL. This one is genetic, so you only need to test it once. But it's important to know your number because it significantly affects your cardiovascular risk and most doctors never check it.

  • LDL: optimal under 100 mg/dL

  • HDL: optimal 60-90 mg/dL

  • Triglycerides: optimal under 70 mg/dL

Inflammation

Chronic low-grade inflammation accelerates aging and increases risk for almost everything. These markers can flag problems years before they show up on a standard panel.

  • hs-CRP: optimal under 1.0 (I try to keep mine under 0.5)

  • TNF-alpha: optimal under 8.1

  • IL-6: optimal under 1.8

  • Homocysteine: optimal under 6

Thyroid Health

If your doctor is only checking TSH, you're getting a fraction of the picture. A full thyroid panel matters, especially for women.

  • TSH: optimal 1.0-2.0 mIU/L

  • Free T3: optimal 3.0-4.0 pg/mL

  • Free T4: optimal 1.0-1.5 ng/dL

  • Reverse T3: optimal under 15 ng/dL

  • Thyroid antibodies (TPO and TgAb): as low as possible. Elevated antibodies can signal autoimmune thyroid issues long before your TSH moves.

Nutrient Status

Deficiencies here affect everything from energy to mood to immune function. Most of these aren't included in a standard panel.

  • Vitamin D (25-OH): optimal 60-80 ng/mL

  • Ferritin: optimal 50-150 ng/mL. This one is especially important for women who menstruate. Low ferritin is one of the most common reasons women feel exhausted, and it's frequently missed.

  • B12: optimal 500-1000 pg/mL

  • Magnesium (RBC): optimal 5.0-6.5 mg/dL

  • Omega-3 Index: optimal 8-12+%

Liver and Detox

Your liver handles hormone metabolism, detoxification, and so much more. These markers can reveal stress on the system before anything else shows up.

  • AST: optimal 10-25 U/L

  • ALT: optimal under 20 U/L

  • GGT: optimal under 20 U/L

Autoimmune Markers

Autoimmune conditions disproportionately affect women. These are worth checking, especially if you have a family history or unexplained symptoms.

  • ANA: optimal negative

  • TPO antibodies: under 9 IU/mL

  • TgAb: under 1 IU/mL

What to Do with This

Save this page. Bring it to your next appointment. You don't need to test everything at once, but start with the systems that feel most relevant to you.

If you've been dealing with fatigue, mood changes, weight shifts, or just a general sense of not feeling like yourself, there's a good chance something in here will point you in the right direction.

The goal isn't to chase perfect numbers. It's to have enough data to understand what's actually happening in your body so you can make informed decisions instead of guessing.

Your labs are your data. And your data is the starting point for everything else.

Kayla Barnes
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