Testosterone, specifically its levels that are too low or too high, can make you feel strange, reluctant to live, or make you feel like having sex. Excess or deficiency of testosterone can also influence the tendency to argue and aggression. Examine your testosterone levels and you may find an explanation for your problems. Check what are the standards for testosterone and what does its decreased or increased level mean.

Testosterone levelsaffects the entire life of both men and women.Testosteronein men is mainly produced in the testicles and is responsible for the male characteristics of the body. First of all, for the development of the genital organs and the reproductive system (penis, testes, scrotum, prostate, seminal vesicles). It also promotes the formation of secondary male characteristics - musculature, bone mass, fat distribution or thickening of the vocal cords. Thanks to this hormone, an adult man experiences sexual desire, has erections, and his fertility is maintained at a high level. But testosterone takes care not only of procreation. It can do much more. When there is too little or too much of it in the body, trouble arises. This also applies to women.

Testosterone levels depend on the brain and genes

The brain decides about testosterone production. It is here that, depending on the need, a decision is made whether to increase or stop its production. How much hormone your body needs at any given time is determined by the pituitary gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus. When she receives the news that the body does not have enough testosterone, she begins to release a hormone that stimulates the testicles to work harder. Testosterone level is an individual matter - it depends on the genes inherited from the ancestors.

Testosterone - level test. Indications

The indications for testing testosterone in men are symptoms of its deficiency or excess. When testosterone is not enough, the silhouette takes on a feminine shape. The hips are rounded, the belly and breasts are outlined, the hair thinning, and the testicles decrease in volume. Interest in sex also disappears. There comes unreasonable fatigue, muscle weakness, low self-esteem, apathy and even depression.

In women, testosterone levels are performed when there is enlargement of the clitoris and labia, acne, infertility, increased muscle mass, male pattern baldness,the appearance of male hair (hirsutism) in women.

Daily testosterone levels

The highest level of testosterone lasts from morning to noon. These are the hours of peak physical and intellectual form, creativity, but also a tendency to fall into conflict. Between 13 and 17, the hormone levels decline. This is the best time to work in a team because it requires negotiation and cooperation skills. In the afternoon, between 17 and 19, the levels of the driving hormone drop significantly. Time is needed to regenerate and calm down. Approx. 21 testosterone stabilizes again, which can be seen in the surge of energy, willingness to live and increased libido.

Endocrinologist: Testosterone keeps the circadian rhythm

Important

Testosterone - norms

In men, reference values:

  • free testosterone: 174-902 pmol / l
  • total testosterone: 12-40 nmol / l

In women, reference values:

  • free testosterone: 10.4-45.1 pmol / l
  • total testosterone: 1-2.5 nmol / l

The average concentration of total testosterone drops by about 1% per year, but the pace of this process is very individual. In addition, all men have a characteristic normal testosterone concentration, and the difference between the lower and upper limit of the normal range is about 250% .¹

Testosterone - low level. What does testosterone deficiency mean?

The decrease in testosterone concentration in men may be related to:

The relationship between testosterone deficiency and the risk of metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases) is emphasized, and it has also been proven that patients with low testosterone levels live shorter lives .¹

  • testicular feminization syndrome
  • Klinefelter syndrome
  • hypopituitarism
  • testicular failure
  • state after kernel excision
  • estrogen therapy
Worth knowing

There is no universally accepted lower limit for testosterone levels. It was assumed that the concentration of total testosterone>12 nmol / L (>3.5 ng / dL) did not require treatment. Total testosterone levels <8 nmol / L (<2.5 ng / dL) require testosterone substitution. If total testosterone levels are found between 8 and 12 nmol / L (2.5-3.5 ng / dL), the test should be repeated and trial testosterone treatment should be considered again at low levels. At total testosterone levels below 5.2 nmol / L (150 ng / dL), extended diagnostics should be undertaken to exclude pathologies of the hypothalamic-pituitary system (e.g. hyperprolactinaemia) or primary hypogonadism, i.e.testicles .¹

According to an expertBarbara Grzechocińska, MD, PhD, obstetrician gynecologist, assistant professor at the 1st Department and Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical University of Warsaw

Low testosterone level in a woman

What if my testosterone is not within the normal range? What does too low testosterone level in women mean in practice.

Dr. Barbara Grzechocińska, MD, PhD, gynecologist - obstetrician: Low testosterone concentration in a woman may be the result of ovarian and adrenal insufficiency or reduced peripheral conversion. Determining low testosterone concentration requires clinical evaluation and additional tests.

Testosterone deficiency - effects. Low testosterone levels are a risk factor for many diseases

Testosterone deficiency is an important factor in the development of metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular diseases. Testosterone deficiency has been shown to correlate positively with the same risk factors as obesity and the metabolic syndrome, i.e. hypertension, elevated LDL and total cholesterol levels, elevated levels of pro-inflammatory factors, and ischemic heart disease. Low testosterone levels 2-4 times increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome .¹

Patients with testosterone deficiency have a 40-88% increase in mortality .¹ It has been shown that in men over 40 with low testosterone levels (below 2.5 ng / ml) the risk of death increases by as much as 78% However, a prospective, over 20-year follow-up of patients in the Rancho Bernardo Study showed that the risk of death among men with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile was 44% higher compared to the highest quartile, and the cause of death was mainly cardiovascular disease. These correlations remained significant after considering the effects of age, weight, addiction, and lifestyle in the analysis .¹

Testosterone - high level. What does excess testosterone mean?

Increasing testosterone levels may be related to:

  • virilizing tumors of the adrenal glands
  • congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  • hirsutism in women
  • polycystic ovary syndrome in women

High testosterone - effects. Excess testosterone is associated with weaker immunity in men

High testosterone levels affect many bodily functions. In its presence, bones absorb calcium better, which is why men are less prone to osteoporosis than women. More red blood cells are produced in the marrow, which makes them less likely to be anemic. But although high testosterone levels give superman physique and strength, toomany gentlemen have to pay dearly for this effect. It has been proven that excess hormone is linked to susceptibility to disease. This is because the immune cells die when they come into contact with testosterone. The male organism - especially the one who smokes cigarettes, abuses alcohol and eats greasy does not keep up to produce enough protective antibodies. That is why men have a harder time dealing with infections, inflammations, depression and cancer.

Bibliography:

1. Rabijewski M., Practical aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) in men, "Przegląd Urologiczny" 2009, No. 4 (56)

2. The article uses materials from Anna Jarosz from the monthly "Zdrowie"

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Research