LH optimal range and reference range

Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

Sera's bands for LH, which differ for men and women:

Female: Optimal 2 – 10 mIU/mL (2 – 10 IU/L); sufficient 0.7 – 14.6 mIU/mL (0.7 – 14.6 IU/L); out of range below 0.7 or above 14.6 mIU/mL.
Male: Optimal 2 – 8 mIU/mL (2 – 8 IU/L); sufficient 1.3 – 9.6 mIU/mL (1.3 – 9.6 IU/L); out of range below 1.3 or above 9.6 mIU/mL.

Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.

All units

Unit	Applies to	Optimal	Sufficient	Out of range
mIU/mL	Female	2 – 10	0.7 – 14.6	below 0.7 or above 14.6
mIU/mL	Male	2 – 8	1.3 – 9.6	below 1.3 or above 9.6
IU/L	Female	2 – 10	0.7 – 14.6	below 0.7 or above 14.6
IU/L	Male	2 – 8	1.3 – 9.6	below 1.3 or above 9.6

What the evidence says

The bands are laboratory reference intervals (Mayo Clinic Laboratories): 1.3 to 9.6 IU/L in men, and 0.7 to 14.6 in premenopausal women outside the ovulatory surge. In pooled cohort data, men with LH above 10 IU/L had higher all-cause mortality, which fits the upper limit. No optimal band is published for either sex; the ones shown are functional targets. In women LH surges sharply at ovulation, to roughly 12 to 118 IU/L, so a mid-cycle result will score out of range without being abnormal; it is also markedly higher after menopause. Interpret a single value alongside cycle day, and alongside testosterone in men. These ranges are informative, not diagnostic.

For women: These ranges are informative, not diagnostic, and reflect a follicular-phase reference for women in their reproductive years (pre-menopausal). LH surges sharply at ovulation and is markedly higher after menopause, so interpret a single value alongside your cycle day.

Menstrual cycle: Female range is a follicular-phase reference; LH surges sharply at ovulation.

Sources

Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Serum — Mayo Clinic Laboratories, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceMen over 18: 1.3 to 9.6 IU/L. Premenopausal women: follicular 1.9 to 14.6, midcycle 12.2 to 118.0, luteal 0.7 to 12.9; postmenopausal 5.3 to 65.4.
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) (test 004283) — Labcorp, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdult men 1.7 to 8.6 mIU/mL. Women: follicular 2.4 to 12.6, ovulation 14.0 to 95.6, luteal 1.0 to 11.4, postmenopausal 7.7 to 58.5. Confirms that the male upper limit is below 10.
Associations of Testosterone and Related Hormones With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Men: Individual Participant Data Meta-analyses — Yeap BB, Marriott RJ, Dwivedi G, et al. — Annals of Internal Medicine, 2024 · Peer-reviewed publicationIn pooled cohorts of community-dwelling men, LH above 10 IU/L was associated with higher all-cause mortality. Outcome evidence that an LH of 10 to 12 in a man should not score as acceptable. Australian-led, with European and North American cohorts.

What LH (Luteinizing Hormone) measures

A pituitary hormone that helps control reproduction.

The balance between LH and FSH helps show how well the reproductive system and hormones are working.

Related hormone health markers

See LH in the full list of biomarker ranges

This page is a reference for practitioners, not medical advice. Sera's bands are practitioner targets for structured review, not diagnostic thresholds, and Sera does not diagnose or recommend treatment. Read a result alongside the interval printed by the issuing laboratory and the client's history and symptoms. Range set: Sera Production, version 1.0, last reviewed November 9, 2026.