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What are the normal ranges for testosterone levels?

Updated

The normal ranges for testosterone levels can vary based on the method of measurement and the population being studied. For adult men, total testosterone levels typically range from 264 to 916 ng/dL in healthy, non-obese men aged 19 to 39 years, with calculated free testosterone levels ranging from 0.23 to 0.63 nmol/L. In women, the upper reference range limit for total testosterone is less than 1.7 nmol/L. For premenopausal women, the estimated 5th and 95th percentiles for a 30-year-old woman are 15-46 ng/dL (520-1595 pmol/L) for total testosterone, 1.2-6.4 pg/mL (4.16-22.2 pmol/L) for free testosterone, 1.3-5.6 pg/mL (4.5-19.4 pmol/L) for calculated free testosterone, and 1.12-7.62 ng/dL (38.8-264.21 pmol/L) for bioavailable testosterone, with SHBG levels ranging from 18-86 nmol/L.

In specific populations, such as older men with low or low-normal testosterone levels, the range is defined as total testosterone between 100 to 400 ng/dL or free testosterone less than 50 pg/mL. For aging men with low-normal testosterone levels, the range is 6-14 nmol/L. The method of measurement, such as tandem mass spectrometry, can affect reference ranges due to its accuracy, with harmonized values for total testosterone in men aged 19 to 39 years being 264 to 916 ng/dL.

In summary, the normal ranges for testosterone levels are crucial for diagnosing conditions like hypogonadism and tailoring appropriate treatments. For adult men, total testosterone levels typically range from 264 to 916 ng/dL, while for women, the upper limit is less than 1.7 nmol/L, with variations based on age, sex, and specific populations.

Further Reading:

  1. Neale, S. M., Hocking, R., Biswas, M., Turkes, A., Rees, D., Rees, D. A., & Evans, C. (2013). Adult testosterone and calculated free testosterone reference ranges by tandem mass spectrometry. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry: International Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 50(2), 159–161. https://doi.org/10.1258/acb.2012.012047
  2. Basaria, S., Harman, S. M., Travison, T. G., Hodis, H., Tsitouras, P., Budoff, M., Pencina, K. M., Vita, J., Dzekov, C., Mazer, N. A., Coviello, A. D., Knapp, P. E., Hally, K., Pinjic, E., Yan, M., Storer, T. W., & Bhasin, S. (2015). Effects of Testosterone Administration for 3 Years on Subclinical Atherosclerosis Progression in Older Men with Low or Low-Normal Testosterone Levels. JAMA, 314(6), 570. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.8881
  3. Chasland, L. C., Yeap, B. B., Maiorana, A. J., Chan, Y. X., Maslen, B. A., Cooke, B. R., Dembo, L., Naylor, L. H., & Green, D. J. (2021). Testosterone and exercise: effects on fitness, body composition, and strength in middle-to-older aged men with low-normal serum testosterone levels. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 320(5), H1985–H1998. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00010.2021
  4. Braunstein, G. D., Reitz, R. E., Buch, A., Schnell, D., & Caulfield, M. P. (2011). Testosterone Reference Ranges in Normally Cycling Healthy Premenopausal Women. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8(10), 2924–2934. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02380.x
  5. Huang, G., Pencina, K. M., Li, Z., Basaria, S., Bhasin, S., Travison, T. G., Storer, T. W., Harman, S. M., & Tsitouras, P. (2018). Long-Term Testosterone Administration on Insulin Sensitivity in Older Men with Low or Low-Normal Testosterone Levels. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 103(4), 1678–1685. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2017-02545
  6. Travison, T. G., Vesper, H. W., Orwoll, E., Wu, F., Kaufman, J. M., Wang, Y., Lapauw, B., Fiers, T., Matsumoto, A. M., & Bhasin, S. (2017). Harmonized Reference Ranges for Circulating Testosterone Levels in Men of Four Cohort Studies in the United States and Europe. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 102(4), 1161–1173. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2016-2935