Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel
ED Plus blood test panel measures testosterone pathways, prolactin, thyroid, metabolic and PSA-related markers to clarify causes and guide next steps.
This panel bundles multiple biomarker tests in one order—your report explains how results fit together.
Erectile dysfunction is rarely explained by one number. This lab panel bundles hormone markers (including testosterone pathways), thyroid screening, metabolic risk labs, and a few safety checks so you can see the most common contributors side by side from a single blood draw.
Do I need this panel?
You may want the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel if erections are less reliable than they used to be, morning erections have decreased, libido is lower, or you feel “flat” in training and recovery and you want objective data before making changes.
This panel is also useful when you are trying to separate hormone-related drivers (like low free testosterone, high SHBG, or elevated prolactin) from non-hormonal drivers (like insulin resistance, high blood pressure risk patterns, or thyroid dysfunction). Many men have more than one contributor at the same time, and a bundled lab panel helps you avoid chasing a single result in isolation.
If you are already on testosterone therapy (TRT) or other hormone-active medications, this panel can help you check whether your dosing, timing, or side effects are showing up in labs (for example, changes in hematocrit, estradiol, or PSA). Testing supports clinician-directed care and shared decision-making; it is not a diagnosis by itself.
Most components are standard venous blood tests; some hormone markers can vary by time of day, recent illness, and medication use, so interpretation should consider your collection time and context.
Lab testing
Order the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel
Schedule online, results typically within about a week
Clear reporting and optional clinician context
HSA/FSA eligible where applicable
Get this panel with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order the ED Plus Panel as a single lab panel so you can review hormones, metabolic markers, and key safety labs together instead of piecing them together across multiple orders.
After your results are in, you can use PocketMD to walk through patterns across the panel—like why total testosterone can look “fine” while free testosterone is low, or how A1c and lipids can point to vascular contributors even when hormones are normal.
If you are monitoring a plan over time (lifestyle changes, medication adjustments, or TRT under medical oversight), repeating the same panel can make trends easier to spot than mixing different test sets from month to month.
- One order, one blood draw, multiple clinically relevant markers
- Designed for pattern-based interpretation (hormones + metabolic + safety)
- PocketMD support for context, follow-up questions, and retest planning
Key benefits of the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel
- Clarifies testosterone status by pairing total testosterone with SHBG and albumin to interpret free/bioavailable testosterone patterns.
- Screens for prolactin-related suppression of libido and gonadal signaling that can mimic “low T” symptoms.
- Adds thyroid markers to catch hypothyroid or hyperthyroid patterns that can affect erections, mood, and energy.
- Checks metabolic and vascular risk signals (A1c, lipids, glucose) that commonly contribute to ED even when hormones are normal.
- Includes PSA and general safety labs to support therapy-aware conversations, especially if you are considering or already using TRT.
- Helps reduce “free vs total testosterone noise” by interpreting results as a package rather than a single headline number.
- Creates a baseline you can repeat to track response to training load, sleep, weight change, medications, or clinician-guided hormone therapy.
What is the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel?
The Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel is a multi-marker blood test panel designed to evaluate common biological contributors to erectile function. ED can involve hormone signaling (testosterone production and binding), pituitary signaling, thyroid function, blood vessel health, blood sugar regulation, inflammation, medication effects, and overall cardiometabolic risk.
Instead of relying on one lab value, this panel groups complementary tests into a single snapshot:
• Sex hormone markers help you interpret androgen status more accurately. Total testosterone alone can be misleading because binding proteins (especially sex hormone–binding globulin, SHBG) change how much testosterone is available to tissues.
• Pituitary and related markers (like prolactin, and often LH/FSH when included) can point to whether the issue is more likely testicular production, central signaling, or medication-related suppression.
• Thyroid screening matters because thyroid hormones influence mood, energy, vascular tone, and sometimes sexual function.
• Metabolic and cardiovascular risk markers matter because erections are a vascular event. Insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension-related patterns can reduce blood flow and nitric oxide signaling even when testosterone is adequate.
• Safety and monitoring labs (such as PSA and blood counts) are especially relevant if you are considering hormone therapy or are already on TRT, since they help contextualize benefits and risks with your clinician.
What do my panel results mean?
Patterns that can look “low” on this panel
A “low” pattern usually means one or more hormone signals are underpowered relative to your symptoms and goals. Examples include low total testosterone, or normal total testosterone with low calculated/free testosterone because SHBG is high; low-normal gonadotropins (LH/FSH) alongside low testosterone can suggest reduced pituitary signaling; and thyroid patterns consistent with hypothyroidism (for example, elevated TSH with low free T4) that can contribute to fatigue and reduced sexual function. Low fasting glucose is less commonly the driver of ED, but low energy availability, overtraining, or inadequate sleep can sometimes show up as lower testosterone and altered thyroid markers.
Patterns that are often considered “optimal”
An “optimal” pattern is when hormone markers, thyroid screening, and metabolic risk labs are broadly in a healthy range and consistent with how you feel. In practice, this often looks like testosterone markers that align (total and free/bioavailable are both reasonable for your age and context), prolactin is not elevated, thyroid markers do not suggest hypo- or hyperthyroidism, A1c and fasting glucose do not indicate insulin resistance, and lipids are not strongly atherogenic. If your panel looks solid but symptoms persist, it is a cue to look beyond labs—medications, sleep apnea, blood pressure, pelvic floor factors, mental health, relationship context, and vascular evaluation can all matter.
Patterns that can look “high” on this panel
A “high” pattern often points to either excess signaling, compensation, or risk markers that deserve follow-up. Examples include elevated prolactin (which can suppress libido and erectile function and may be medication-related), thyroid patterns consistent with hyperthyroidism, or metabolic risk markers such as elevated A1c, fasting glucose, triglycerides, or LDL cholesterol that raise concern for vascular contributors. Safety markers can also be “high” in a clinically meaningful way—PSA above your prior baseline, or elevated hematocrit/hemoglobin (which can occur with TRT or dehydration) may change how your clinician approaches therapy and monitoring.
Factors that influence ED panel markers
Timing and context can shift results. Testosterone is typically highest in the morning, and poor sleep, acute illness, heavy training load, caloric restriction, or alcohol can lower it transiently. SHBG can rise with aging, thyroid changes, liver conditions, and certain medications, which can make free testosterone lower even when total testosterone looks acceptable. Prolactin can be increased by stress, poor sleep, and several medications (including some antidepressants). PSA varies with age, prostate size, ejaculation, cycling, urinary symptoms, and prostatitis; a single PSA value is best interpreted against your baseline and risk factors. Metabolic markers (A1c, glucose, lipids) respond to weight change, diet composition, training volume, and medications, so trends over time are often more informative than one snapshot.
What’s included in this panel
- Albumin
- Albumin/Globulin Ratio
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- Alt
- Amorphous Sediment
- Appearance
- Ast
- Bacteria
- Bilirubin
- Bilirubin, Total
- Bun/Creatinine Ratio
- Calcium
- Calcium Oxalate Crystals
- Carbon Dioxide
- Casts
- Chloride
- Color
- Creatinine
- Crystals
- Dhea Sulfate
- Egfr
- Estradiol
- Fsh
- Globulin
- Glucose
- Granular Cast
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Hyaline Cast
- Igf 1, Lc/Ms
- Ketones
- Leukocyte Esterase
- Lh
- Nitrite
- Occult Blood
- Ph
- Potassium
- Protein
- Protein, Total
- Psa, Total
- Rbc
- Renal Epithelial Cells
- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
- Sodium
- Specific Gravity
- Squamous Epithelial Cells
- T3, Free
- T4, Free
- Testosterone, Free
- Testosterone, Total, Ms
- Transitional Epithelial Cells
- Triple Phosphate Crystals
- Tsh
- Urea Nitrogen (Bun)
- Uric Acid Crystals
- Wbc
- Yeast
- Z Score (Female)
- Z Score (Male)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to test testosterone in the morning for this panel?
Usually, yes. Testosterone tends to peak in the morning, and many clinicians prefer a morning draw (often before 10 a.m.) for the most comparable results. If you work nights or have an unusual sleep schedule, the best “morning” is often relative to your sleep-wake cycle. If you are on TRT, timing should match your dosing schedule so trends are interpretable.
Why does this panel include SHBG and albumin?
Most testosterone in blood is bound to proteins—mainly SHBG and albumin. SHBG changes with age, thyroid status, liver health, and medications. By measuring SHBG and albumin alongside total testosterone, you can better interpret free or bioavailable testosterone patterns, which often correlate more closely with symptoms than total testosterone alone.
What does PSA in an ED panel actually tell me?
PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is not a test for erectile function. It is included as a safety and monitoring marker, especially if you are considering or using testosterone therapy. PSA is best interpreted as a trend over time and in the context of age, prostate symptoms, recent ejaculation, cycling, and any prostate inflammation.
Do I need to fast for the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Plus Panel?
Fasting is often recommended because the panel commonly includes glucose and a lipid panel. A typical approach is 8–12 hours of fasting (water is fine). If you cannot fast, you can still test, but triglycerides and glucose may be harder to interpret, and you may need a repeat fasting draw for clarity.
How should I read my results if some markers are normal and others are not?
That is common, and it is exactly why a panel can be helpful. Start by grouping results: (1) androgen status (total/free testosterone, SHBG, estradiol), (2) pituitary signals (LH/FSH, prolactin), (3) thyroid screening (TSH, free T4), (4) metabolic/vascular risk (A1c, glucose, lipids), and (5) safety labs (CBC/CMP, PSA). The most useful next step is usually to connect the pattern to symptoms, medications, and timing rather than reacting to a single out-of-range value.
Is this panel the same as a fertility workup?
No. While LH and FSH can provide clues about signaling to the testes, fertility evaluation typically includes semen analysis and may include additional hormones and genetic or imaging workup depending on the situation. If fertility is a priority, you may need testing beyond this ED-focused panel.
Is it better to order this panel or individual tests?
If ED is the main concern, a bundled panel is often more efficient because it captures the common contributors in one draw and makes interpretation more coherent. Individual tests can make sense when you are following up a known issue (for example, rechecking prolactin after a medication change), but starting with a panel can reduce the chance of missing an interacting factor.