5-alpha-Androstanediol

Optimal Result: 12.3 - 50.1 ng/mg CR.

5a-Androstanediol is a testosterone metabolite that is more androgenic than b-Androstanediol. It is metabolized via the 5-alpha metabolic pathway (= increased 5α-reductase activity). In contrast, the 5-beta metabolism makes androgens less potent.

Increased 5a-reductase activity may be accompanied by clinical signs of androgenicity (excess facial hair growth, scalp hair loss, acne, irritability, oily skin, prostate issues in men...etc). 

It's important to look at this marker and compare it to 5b-Androstanediol. If your 5a-Androstanediol (this marker) and 5a-DHT are increased and 5b-Androstanediol is normal to low then you can do things to lower the preference of your body to move towards that 5-alpha metabolic pathway. 

If your overall testosterone is elevated as well, please refer to the main testosterone biomarker as you have to address the overall testosterone level and which pathway (alpha vs. beta) your body is choosing.

Technically, 5a-Androstanediol can also be formed from DHEA metabolites without going through the testosterone pathway, but they generally tend to correlate with testosterone production.

What does it mean if your 5-alpha-Androstanediol result is too low?

Androgen deficiency can lead to:

- decreased sexual function

- fatigue

- depression

- bone loss

What does it mean if your 5-alpha-Androstanediol result is too high?

If your 5a-Androstanediol and 5a-DHT levels are increased, and your overall testosterone levels are normal (or even high) then your body is leaning towards the more androgenic 5-alpha metabolism pathway.

Possible symptoms:

If you are going down the alpha pathway towards 5a-DHT/ 5a-Androstanediol (= elevated values), the symptoms are usually your typical PCOS-like symptoms like facial hair, acne, anger and irritation and hair loss on the head. Males might experience pattern baldness, prostate enlargement (BPH = Benign prostatic hyperplasia). You might have completely normal levels of testosterone (please check your testosterone marker in this test to verity) and, yet, have a bad case of acne, are irritated or thinning scalp hair. If your 5a- DHT / 5a-Androstanediol is increased this would be an indication that you are favoring the alpha pathway that’s quite aggressive on your skin, hair and other places.

How to potentially address increased 5-alpha pathway preference:

The reasons for your body choosing the alpha pathway can certainly be genetic, but it is often due to inflammation, blood sugar / insulin dysregulation, having extra adipose tissue, etc.. If you can address these underlying issues then your body will balance out the alpha and beta pathways and it will improve the symptoms. 

In addition to addressing the underlying conditions (inflammation, glucose/insulin dysregulation, etc), there are things that can be done from a lifestyle perspective to mitigate the symptoms by blocking the alpha pathway, such as:

(before starting a supplement regime, please consult your doctor first)

- Zinc

- Saw palmetto

- Stinging and dwarf nettle

- Pygeum extract (bark)

- Reishi mushroom

10 000+ happy customers
100% satisfaction
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ customer support

Understand blood, stool, and urine medical results from all your laboratories.

Upload Your Personal Results

Upload Personal Results

For professional account plans go here

for professional account plans go here

Monthly plan

Annual plan

Own it for life

  • Subscription
  • Data entry service included

    Data entry service

    Our exclusive data entry service is a convenient way to get your results into your private dashboard. Simply attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and one of our qualified data entry team members will add the results for you. We support all sorts of files, whether PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is excellent whether you have a lot of reports to upload or are too busy to do the data entry yourself.

  • Instant interpretation
  • Use free data entry form

    Free data entry form

    We strive to make the data entry process easy for you. Whether by offering dozens of templates to choose from that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels or by giving you instant feedback on the entered values. Our data entry forms are an easy, fast, and convenient way to enter the reports yourself. There is no limit on how many lab reports you can upload.

  • 4000+ biomarkers explained
  • Nutrition recommendations
  • Cancel anytime

Complete

$15 /month

billed every month

  • monthly
  • $15 per report
  • ✓ Instant interpretations
  • ✓ 4000+ biomarkers explained
  • ✓ Nutrition recommendations
  • ✓ Free data entry form
  • ✓ Unlimited data
  • ✓ $15 data entry service
  • ✓ Cancel anytime

Most popular

Data entry included

Advanced

$79 /year

$6.60/month billed annually

  • yearly
  • 5 reports free
  • ✓ Instant interpretations
  • ✓ 4000+ biomarkers explained
  • ✓ Nutrition recommendations
  • ✓ We enter 5 reports for you
  • ✓ Yearly subscription
  • ✓ Cancel anytime

Data entry included

Unlimited

$250 /once

own it for life

  • pay once
  • 10 reports free
  • ✓ Instant interpretations
  • ✓ 4000+ biomarkers explained
  • ✓ Nutrition recommendations
  • ✓ We enter 10 reports for you
  • ✓ No subscription
  • ✓ Dedicated support
  • ✓ Unlimited access

Are You a Health Professional?

Get started with our professional plan

Welcome to Healthmatters Pro.

Save time on interpreting lab results with the largest database of biomarkers online. In-depth research on any test at your fingertips, all stored and tracked in one place. Learn more

Pro Monthly Plus

for health professionals

  • ✓ Track multiple clients results
  • ✓ No setup fees
  • ✓ No hidden costs
  • ✓ Instant interpretations
  • ✓ 4000+ biomarkers explained
  • ✓ Includes data entry service
  • ✓ Personal training and support
  • ✓ Cancel anytime

$75 per month

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.