Unleashing the power of AI to create a new era of hormone testing

How often do you talk about hormones? For a lot of women, it’s probably not enough. We might joke about pre-period chocolate cravings or hot flashes, but there’s a lot more to the conversation.

However, our hormones are responsible for a lot more than we give them credit for. They regulate our appetite, libido, sleep, heart rate, mood and stress levels and they keep us healthy and help us perform.

These chemicals are the body’s messenger system for various processes. A minor imbalance, no matter how small, can cause significant effects.

Getting better at understanding our hormones could go a long way towards helping us work with our body’s natural rhythms, yet conventional methods fail to give women the whole picture.

“Currently, hormonal testing is done through blood tests which means that you test all hormones on the day you take the blood test,” explains Jasmine Tagesson, co-founder and COO of the women’s health company Hormona.

“However, because our hormones fluctuate throughout the cycle that doesn’t tell you much.”

The other issue with current methods of hormonal testing, Tagesson says, is that the “normal” ranges are so wide that it’s unlikely to get “abnormal” results.

“The same ‘normal’ values might suggest different things for different people. Because we are so different, we need to find a way to look at our hormones in a more personalised way.”

Hormona, a data-driven start-up Tagesson has founded with her childhood best friend Karolina Lofqvist, aims to bridge this gap.

The company uses AI and a soon-to-be-released at-home test to help women track their hormone levels and better understand their bodies.

“So many women and girls suffer with period pain and menstrual problems” says Tagesson. “We want to help them understand what it is that they are struggling with and what they can do about it.”

The lateral flow urine-based tests assess three key hormones for measuring menstrual, reproductive, and menopausal health — FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), progesterone, and oestrogen. The results are quantified through Hormona’s machine learning prediction model, enabling the platform to detect hormone levels in the sample provided.

The tests are designed to not only help women stay in tune with their bodies, but to also help them spot early signs of hormonal imbalances or gynaecological health conditions, such as PCOS.

“Depending on your cycle, the app will tell you exactly what day to take what tests. You can simply scan the test with your mobile camera and get the results within 15 minutes.”

Educating women

Hormona, however, is not solely focused on hormone testing. The London-based company and winner of this year’s Femtech World Research Project of the Year Award aims to educate women through its app, which allows users to track their symptoms and get personalised hormonal health advice.

“We don’t talk about our periods and hormones nowhere near enough,” Tagesson says.

“We have very little research on women’s health and a lot of the research that’s used today is based on studies that were done 20-30 years ago. Our lives look very different now, the environmental stressors are very different, and the way they impact our cycles is very different.

“With our app, our aim is to provide the education that has been lacking for so many women. We already track our sleep and physical activity, so why not track our hormones too?”

The app, designed alongside a team of endocrinology, gynaecology and nutrition experts, is also there to guide women after they’ve taken the tests.

“When it comes to hormone health, a lot of the changes that are required are related to lifestyle and diet. So, we offer our users holistic plans that aim to address the hormonal issues they are facing.

“For us, it’s important to provide women with a range of options and tools; it’s up to each individual to pick the one that works best for them. We’re all different and what works for me may not work for you.”

Tagesson’s dream would be for Hormona to be the global leader when it comes to hormone health.

“Educating girls and women from a young age so that they can know what is going on with their bodies is very powerful. I would love for Hormona to be the platform doing that,” she says.

On a more personal level, the London-based entrepreneur would like for the company to collaborate with scientists to bring more research into the world.

“Our aim is to use the information we’re collecting to change the way we approach women’s health. Currently, we are looking at how women feel during the ovulation phase.

“It is wildly accepted that during ovulation, you should feel your best, but many women have told us that they don’t actually feel that great.

“We’re hoping that with our internal study we can better understand why only some women feel good during ovulation and subsequently change some of the ways in which we look at this phase.”