title: Serum androgen levels in men: impact of health status and age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of health status on androgen levels in men and to assess the age-related changes in androgen levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera were obtained from 526 men (age 20 to 89 years) participating in a health screening project and 35 men selected according to the SENIEUR protocol, which excludes those with underlying disease. The health screening project participants were divided into two groups: healthy men (n = 133; group 1) and the remainder (n = 393; group 2). The total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels were quantified, and the amount of free testosterone (cfT) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lowest annual declines in androgen level were observed in group 3 (testosterone 0.2%; cfT 0.4%), followed by group 1 (testosterone 0.4%; cfT 0.8%) and group 2 (testosterone 0.8%; cfT 0.9%). Body mass index and levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose correlated negatively (P <0.01) with testosterone and cfT. Decade-adjusted reference values (mean +/- 2 standard deviations) for testosterone and cfT were defined. The proposed lower testosterone reference value declined gradually from 3.1 ng/mL (20 to 29 years) to 1.7 ng/mL (70 years or older).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional study, serum androgens declined in aging men, and the extent of this decrease correlated with health status. A fixed, non-age-adjusted reference value does not adequately reflect this and might lead to a false diagnosis of androgen deficiency, particularly in elderly men. The clinical value of age-related reference values, however, needs to be determined in prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schatzl
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madersbacher
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Temml
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krenn-Schinkel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nader
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sregi
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lapin
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone