Although Testosterone is generally viewed as a male-only hormone, women’s ovaries also make small amounts of testosterone. It helps many organs and body processes in women.
The pituitary gland in the brain controls the amount of testosterone the body makes.
Most of the testosterone in the blood attaches to 2 proteins: albumin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
Some testosterone is called free if it is not attached to proteins.
Free testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone are also referred to as bioavailable testosterone. This is the testosterone that is easily used by your body.
Gender/Age (y) |
Range (pg/mL) |
---|---|
Male |
|
0 to 19 |
Not established |
20 to 29 |
9.3−26.5 |
30 to 39 |
8.7−25.1 |
40 to 49 |
6.8−21.5 |
50 to 59 |
7.2−24.0 |
>59 |
6.6−18.1 |
References:
- Nassar, G. N. & Leslie, S. W. (2022) Physiology, Testosterone. [Updated Jan. 4, 2022]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/
- Rasquin Leon, L. I., Anastasopoulou, C., & Mayrin, J. V. Polycystic ovarian disease. [Updated Jul. 21, 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459251/
- Sizar, O. & Schwartz, J. (2021). Hypogonadism. [Updated Jun. 29, 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532933/
- Snyder, P. J. (2020). Approach to older men with low testosterone. In: Matsumoto, A. M., Schmader, K. E., & Martin, K. A. (Eds.). Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/approach-to-older-men-with-low-testosterone
- Trost, L. W. & Mulhall, J. P. (2016). Challenges in testosterone measurement, data interpretation, and methodological appraisal of interventional trials. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(7), 1029–1046. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.04.068. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27209182/.
- Zarotsky V., Huang, M., Carman, W., Morgentaler, A., Singhal, P.K., Coffin, D. et al. (2014). Systematic literature review of the epidemiology of nongenetic forms of hypogonadism in adult males. Journal of Hormones, 2014, Article ID 19034. doi:10.1155/2014/190347. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jhor/2014/190347/
While falling testosterone levels are a normal part of aging, certain conditions can hasten the decline. Risk factors include:
- injury or infection
- chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer
- medications, especially hormones used to treat prostate cancer and corticosteroid drugs
- chronic illness
- stress
- alcoholism
- obesity
Symptoms of low testosterone in men include:
- Fatigue, depression, or trouble concentrating
- Hair loss
- Loss of muscle mass
- Low sex drive
- Swollen breasts
- Trouble getting or keeping an erection
- Weak bones -- called osteoporosis
Some things that cause low testosterone can also cause a low sperm count. If your sperm count is low, your doctor might order this test.
Millions of men use testosterone replacement therapy to restore low levels and feel more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional. But it's not that simple. A man's general health also affects his testosterone levels. For instance, being overweight, having diabetes or thyroid problems, and taking certain medications, such as glucocorticoids and other steroids, can affect levels. Therefore, simply having low testosterone levels does not always call for taking extra testosterone.
Doctors diagnose low testosterone based on a physical exam, a review of symptoms, and the results of multiple blood tests since levels can fluctuate daily.
If your doctor diagnoses low testosterone, other tests may be considered before therapy. For example, low testosterone can speed bone loss, so your doctor may recommend a bone density test to see whether you also need treatment for osteoporosis.
Prostate cancer is another concern, as testosterone can fuel its growth. As a result, the Endocrine Society recommends against testosterone supplementation for men in certain situations, including those who:
- have prostate or breast cancer
- have an elevated blood level of prostate-specific antigen (a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer)
- have a prostate nodule that can be felt during a rectal exam.
Other circumstances in which testosterone supplementation is not recommended include:
- a plan to become a father in the near-term
- an elevated red blood cell count
- severe, untreated sleep apnea
- severe lower urinary tract symptoms
- poorly controlled heart failure
- heart attack or stroke within the last 6 months
- a tendency to form blood clots (a condition called thrombophilia)
In most cases, men need to have both low levels of testosterone in their blood and several symptoms of low testosterone to go on therapy. It is possible to have low levels and not experience symptoms. But if you do not have any key symptoms, especially fatigue and sexual dysfunction, which are the most common, it is not recommended you go on the therapy given the uncertainty about long-term safety.
Even if your levels are low and you have symptoms, low testosterone therapy is not always the first course of action. If your doctor can identify the source for declining levels—for instance, weight gain or a particular medication—he or she may first address that problem.
Understand and improve your laboratory results with our health dashboard.
Upload your lab reports and get interpretation today.
Our technology helps to understand, combine, track, organize, and act on your medical lab test results.
Most of the testosterone in your blood attaches to 2 proteins: albumin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Some testosterone is free, which means it is not attached to proteins. Free testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone are also referred to as bioavailable testosterone. This is the testosterone that is easily used by your body.
If your healthcare provider thinks that you have low or high testosterone, your total testosterone levels will be checked first. This looks at all 3 types of testosterone. The free testosterone can help give more information when total testosterone is low.
Too much testosterone in men can cause the following:
- Acne
- Increased risk of prostate cancer
- Male breast enlargement (gynecomastia) because some of the excess testosterone gets converted to estrogen
- Sleep apnea
- Aggressive moods
- Elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)
- Increased red blood cell count (erythrocytosis) and clotting problems
- Shrinking testicles
- Other causes of high testosterone in men include testicular or adrenal gland tumors.
Interpret Your Lab Results
Upload your lab report and we’ll interpret and provide you with recomendations today.
Get StartedGet Started With Our Personal Plan
Advanced Plan
Unlimited Plan
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 Plan
for health professionals
$45 per month
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.
5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, Adiponectin, Albumin/Creatinine Ratio, Random Urine, Anti-Thyroglobulin ab. (0-39), C-Peptide, Serum, Ceruloplasmin, Cyclic AMP, Plasma, Dihydrotestosterone (female), Dihydrotestosterone (male), Estimated Average Glucose (eAG), Free Androgen Index, Free testosterone, Free Testosterone, Direct (Female), Free Testosterone, Direct (Male), Free Thyroxine, Free Thyroxine Index, Fructosamine, Glucose, Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Homocysteine, Insulin (Fasting), Insulin Antibody, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-1), Iodine, Serum/Plasma, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), Serum, Pregnenolone, Reverse T3, Serum, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG), T3, Free, T4, Free, T4, Total (Thyroxine), T7 Index, Testosterone, Testosterone (Female/Child), Testosterone, Serum (Female), Thyroglobulin, Thyroglobulin Antibodies (0 - 1 IU/L), Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (Anti-TPO Ab), Thyroid Stim Immunoglobulin, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Thyrotropin Receptor Ab, Serum, Thyroxine-binding globulin, TBG, TMAO (Trimethylamine N-oxide), Total T3, Tri iodothyronine (T3) Uptake, Triiodothyronine, Serum