Open AccessComparing calculated free testosterone with total testosterone for screening and diagnosing late‐onset hypogonadism in aged males: A cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Liu Zhangshun,
Liu Jie,
Shi Xiaohong,
Wang Lihong,
Yang Yan,
Tao Minfang,
Fu Qiang
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.22073
Subject(s) - free testosterone , testosterone (patch) , sex hormone binding globulin , medicine , androgen deficiency , endocrinology , cross sectional study , androgen , physiology , hormone , pathology
Objective The aim of this study is to compare calculated free testosterone ( cFT ) and total testosterone (T) in predicting late‐onset hypogonadism ( LOH ) in middle‐aged and elderly males. Methods We surveyed a random sample of 608 males between the ages of 45 and 87 years from Shanghai, China. The Aging Male Symptoms ( AMS ) questionnaire and the Androgen Deficiency in Aging Male ( ADAM ) questionnaire were completed by the subjects. Testosterone (T), sex hormone‐binding globulin ( SHBG ), albumin, and other blood biochemical indexes were measured in 332 males. The corresponding cFT was obtained using the Vermeulen formula and the correlations between T and cFT were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. Results Among the 332 males who underwent biochemical evaluation, 289 males (87.0%) was positively screened by the ADAM questionnaire and 232 males (69.9%) by the AMS questionnaire. As suggested by linear regression, cFT exhibited a negative correlation with age in both ADAM + and AMS + group, whereas T did not appear to have significant correlation with age. Besides, there were statistically significant differences in cFT ( P <.001) in the AMS questionnaire. Conclusions Calculated free testosterone levels are more reliable than T levels for diagnosing LOH in middle‐aged and elderly males.