What is CHM?
CHM (Continuous Hormone Monitoring) refers to wearable biosensors designed to track hormone levels (such as cortisol or oestradiol) repeatedly through the day, rather than via single blood draws or saliva tests. So far these sensors exist as research prototypes tested in small studies; no validated consumer device is available.
Why does continuous hormone monitoring matter?
Continuous hormone monitoring matters because many hormones change quickly across the day, so a single test captures only one moment. Cortisol, for example, normally peaks shortly after waking and falls toward evening, and it also spikes briefly with stress. Seeing the full curve could, in principle, reveal patterns that one blood draw would miss.
For now, though, this is mostly a future promise. The practical value for everyday users has not yet been clearly shown, and hormone readings are hard to interpret without clinical context.
How is CHM measured?
Today, hormones are reliably measured mainly with standard lab tests, not wearables. Blood tests are the clinical standard for most hormones, saliva tests are commonly used for cortisol (including repeated samples to map its daily rhythm), and urine tests are used for some hormone metabolites.
Continuous consumer sensors are mostly at the research or early-product stage. Most prototypes try to detect cortisol or other hormones in sweat or skin fluid. Key challenges include low hormone concentrations, variable sweat rates, sensor drift over time, and uncertain agreement between sweat and blood levels. Independent validation against lab methods is still limited, so results from such devices should be treated with caution.
In ONDA Life
ONDA does not measure cortisol or any hormone. The CHM article explains what research sensors can do today, which lab tests are reliable, and why HRV and resting heart rate are indirect stress-load signals, not hormone readings.