Laboratory diagnosis of late-onset male hypogonadism andropause

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate which factors influence the laboratorial diagnosis of late-onset male hypogonadism (LOH). METHODS: Total testosterone (TT), SHBG and albumin were measured in 216 men aged 52-84 years. The laboratorial definition of LOH was two values of calculated free testosterone (cFT) <6.5 ng/dl, according to Vermeulen's formula. RESULTS: At the first blood test, cFT was <6.5 ng/dl in 27% of the men. Laboratorial LOH (confirmed by two tests) was present in 19%, but TT levels were low in only 4.1%. Age influenced TT (p=0.0051) as well as BMI; 23.5% of patients > 70 years and 38.9% of the obese men who had TT within the reference range were, in fact, hypogonadal. CONCLUSION: Especially in obese men and in those > 70 years old, SHBG dosage is important to calculate FT levels and diagnose hypogonadism.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Clapauch,Ruth, Carmo,Aline Machado, Marinheiro,Lizanka, Buksman,Salo, Pessoa,Isabel
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Brasileira de Endocrinologia e Metabologia 2008
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-27302008000900005
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