Definition
What ACTH measures
Adrenocorticotropic hormone is the pituitary signal that tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol. It is unstable in the tube and is a venous, timed-handling assay — not a Tasso+ mail-back marker.
Illustrative sample band · Synthetic
22pg/mL
1.7Sample target 7–50 pg/mL64
Why it matters
How clinicians usually read it
Shoemaker protocols read ACTH with cortisol. The pair helps a clinician see whether a cortisol result is a gland issue or a pituitary-signal issue.
When it reads low
A lower value can mean
A lower ACTH with a low cortisol raises a different question than a low ACTH with a high cortisol. Time of day and sample handling both matter.
When it reads high
A higher value can mean
A higher ACTH can mark stress, a morning draw, or a drive to raise cortisol. Mishandled samples are common; confirm collection before over-reading.
Questions for a clinician
Bring the number into a real conversation
01
Was this drawn at the time of day you wanted?
02
How should ACTH and cortisol be read as a pair?
03
Could handling delay have dropped this unstable peptide?
Educational boundary
Educational information only. Displayed ranges are illustrative sample bands, not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for the contracted laboratory report and a qualified clinician.
See it as a sample result
The sample dashboard shows an illustrative reading, target band, and trend for ACTH.