6 replies to this topic

[glacierlakes9]

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL 3.33 NG/ML
(Standard Range: N/A)

TESTOSTERONE FREE % 2.78
(Standard Range: 1.1 - 2.8%)

TESTOSTERONE FREE 92.5
(Standard Range: 35 - 155 PG/ML)

I am a 27 year old male.

Thank you!!

[nowayout]

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL 3.33 NG/ML
(Standard Range: N/A)

TESTOSTERONE FREE % 2.78
(Standard Range: 1.1 - 2.8%)

TESTOSTERONE FREE 92.5
(Standard Range: 35 - 155 PG/ML)

I am a 27 year old male.

Thank you!!

Assuming this was a morning test, your total testosterone of 333 ng/dL is very low for your age range. (If the blood was drawn in the afternoon, it is pretty much meaningless - throw it out and do another test within a couple of hours of waking.) Normal for age <50 is 290-1,300 (this varies somewhat depending on the lab, but see e.g., http://en.wikipedia....for_blood_tests), and "values between 250 and 350 ng/dL should be considered borderline low" (from http://www.cleveland...e-hypogonadism/). So you are bordering on hypogonadism and some doctors would consider your levels to be a reason for further evaluation and/or treatment, if reproducible.

The fact that your free testosterone is not all that low means that your SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) must be very low. Such low values of SHBG are often associated with insulin resistant diabetes or pre-diabetes. Does that ring any bells?

[glacierlakes9]

Thanks, but I think your analysis might be incorrect.
My total level is 3.33, not 333. The units are reported as NG/ML, not NG/DL.

Edited by glacierlakes9, 14 February 2012 - 07:21 PM.

[nowayout]

No, you are just confused with the conversion. There is 100 mL in a dL, which means that 3.33 ng/mL is the same as 333 ng/dL, as I stated.

[glacierlakes9]

So, what are the implications of a low SHBG, concerning fertility? And would testosterone therapy reduce the risk of insulin-resistant diabetes?

[nowayout]

I am not a doctor, but I doubt SHBG is correlated with fertility. By the way, testosterone therapy would make you infertile (or nearly so) for as long as you are on it and for at least six months after stopping it - it has been investigated as a male contraceptive strategy for this reason. As for testosterone replacement reducing the risk of diabetes, it is possible that one might get some small benefit but it is not really worth it for that since you would get vastly better results from exercise, a better diet, and/or weight loss, assuming you are not in good shape - you didn't say what kind of shape you are in, etc. Your testosterone levels would likely be improved with these interventions as well.

[glacierlakes9]

I could stand to lose 50 pounds. I used to run and/or hit the gym on a daily basis and was in great shape. I experienced a personal loss, I guess, and have become extremely sedentary and depressed since then. I hate that I now rely on prescription drugs to feel better. I broke my leg in a car accident a few months ago, but I plan to begin anew once my leg mends.

I am not a doctor, but I doubt SHBG is correlated with fertility. By the way, testosterone therapy would make you infertile (or nearly so) for as long as you are on it and for at least six months after stopping it - it has been investigated as a male contraceptive strategy for this reason. As for testosterone replacement reducing the risk of diabetes, it is possible that one might get some small benefit but it is not really worth it for that since you would get vastly better results from exercise, a better diet, and/or weight loss, assuming you are not in good shape - you didn't say what kind of shape you are in, etc. Your testosterone levels would likely be improved with these interventions as well.