PD30-09 WHAT IS A NORMAL TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN <45 YEARS OLD? RETHINKING THE 300NG/DL CUTOFF FOR HYPOGONADISM

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologySexual Function/Dysfunction: Evaluation II (PD30)1 Sep 2021PD30-09 WHAT IS A NORMAL TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN <45 YEARS OLD? RETHINKING THE 300NG/DL CUTOFF FOR HYPOGONADISM Alexander Zhu, Juan Andino, Stephanie Daignault-Newton, Zoey Chopra, Aruna Sarma, and James M. Dupree Alexander ZhuAlexander Zhu More articles by this author , Juan AndinoJuan Andino More articles by this author , Stephanie Daignault-NewtonStephanie Daignault-Newton More articles by this author , Zoey ChopraZoey Chopra More articles by this author , Aruna SarmaAruna Sarma More articles by this author , and James M. DupreeJames M. Dupree More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002031.09AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: There is an age-related decline in male testosterone production. It is therefore surprising that younger men are evaluated for hypogonadism with the same cutoff of 300ng/dl that was originally developed from samples of older men. Our aim is to describe normal testosterone levels in 20-44 year old men from a national survey. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2011−2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from the Centers for Disease Control, which surveys a nationally representative sample of US residents. Men between 20 to 44 years old were included. Men on hormonal medications, those with a history of testicular cancer, and men with afternoon or evening blood draws were excluded. We separated men into five-year age intervals (20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39 and 40-44 years old) and categorized testosterone levels for men of each age group (mean, 2.5th, 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th 75th and 90th percentile). We determined the proportion of men in each age group that fell below the 300ng/dL cutoff for hypogonadism and would typically meet the threshold for having low testosterone. We further characterized the relationship of testosterone levels in young men to BMI, diabetes, and smoking. RESULTS: 1,486 men 20 to 44 years old had morning testosterone levels available for review. Morning testosterone distributions are described in Tables 1 and 2. Men with BMI <25 had testosterone levels 241ng/dL higher than those with BMI >40+ (p<0.0001). Men with diabetes had lower testosterone levels by 72.7ng/dL (p<0.0001). Daily smokers had testosterone levels that were 56ng/dL higher than nonsmokers (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to evaluate testosterone levels for men younger than 45 years of age. We provide age-adjusted “normal” testosterone values for clinicians to use in counseling younger men presenting with hypogonadism. Specifically, younger hypogonadal men will now have a framework with which to compare their testosterone levels to age-matched peers. Source of Funding: N/A © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e535-e536 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Alexander Zhu More articles by this author Juan Andino More articles by this author Stephanie Daignault-Newton More articles by this author Zoey Chopra More articles by this author Aruna Sarma More articles by this author James M. Dupree More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...