Redefining testosterone reference ranges for adult females
Abstract
PURPOSE: To define an age-continuous reference range for testosterone (T) in females.
METHODS: A large-scale retrospective analysis of anonymised serum T collected via capillary sampling from a private healthcare service. 5,323 female individuals (19-59 years) with no history of reproductive conditions, normal BMI and regular cycles were analysed to establish a robust, age-continuous reference range for T, including probability density distributions and specific quantiles. Competing models of log T values as a function of age were statistically assessed, and the best model selected. Additionally, a cohort with self-reported hirsutism was compared.
RESULTS: A weakly skew-Normal distribution describes the best-fit distribution of log T values at any specific age, such that the mean decreases and the variance increases linearly with age. Analysis of the hirsutism cohort showed significantly higher T levels compared to the reference cohort.
CONCLUSION: Establishing a reliable reference range for female T enables clinicians to differentiate between physiological and pathological states (e.g. hyperandrogenism). Here, we establish a robust, age-continuous reference range for T in a large female population under strict inclusion criteria. The findings underscore the importance of age-specific reference ranges and highlight a substantial decrease in T over adult life. This study provides a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers seeking to compare patient hormone levels to a…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 5,323 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Induced osteoblast differentiation by amide derivatives of stilbene: The possible osteogenic agents
- On model selections for repeated measurement data in clinical studies
- Regulation of GLUT transporters by flavonoids in androgen-sensitive and -insensitive prostate cancer cells
- Region-specific microRNA signatures in the human epididymis
- Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking of 4-Amino-2H-benzo[h]chromen-2-one (ABO) analogs containing the piperazine moiety
- In Vitro characterization of the endocrine disrupting effects of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) on the human androgen receptor
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.