How to take tests for testosterone: preparation and principles of implementation

What is testosterone in men

The basis for the production of testosterone is cholesterol. 90% is synthesized by the testes, 10% by the adrenal cortex. The male body produces about 6-7 mg of testosterone per day. The sex hormone of the strong half of humanity has two main properties:

• Androgens are responsible for the development of male organs and secondary sexual characteristics, psychophysiological characteristics of behavior, sexual desire, spermatogenesis and potency.
• Anabolic – for protein synthesis, retention of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphates, sodium, chlorine and water in the body.

Blood test for testosterone in men

Laboratory tests are carried out for infertility or decreased sexual desire. Tests are prescribed for primary and secondary hypogonadism, chronic prostatitis. A comprehensive diagnosis of osteoporosis, when bones become thinner in old age, is also a reason to test hormone levels. Blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach. Excessive physical activity and alcohol are contraindicated before this study. Hormonal medications are discontinued several days in advance - they may affect the results.

Getting ready for analysis

It is important to understand that proper preparation for the analysis has a significant impact on its objectivity. It is necessary to achieve the most accurate result. There are several rules that must be followed.

1. Alcoholic drinks, even beer, should be completely abandoned in about a week. Exclude tea with cocoa and coffee from your menu. You also need to do without sweet carbonated water.
2. It is necessary to stop taking all kinds of medications at least 24 hours before. This primarily concerns hormonal drugs.
3. Reduce physical activity to a minimum. Try to get enough sleep, keep your body in good shape, but don’t overexert yourself.
4. It is also recommended to give up intimate life. During the day you need to limit any
5. sexual intercourse.
6. It is advisable to stop visiting the sauna, solarium and bathhouse within a week.
7. If a woman recently underwent an x-ray or ultrasound examination, it is better for her to wait to take a hormone test.
8. It is also important to maintain a stable emotional state, limit situations in which stress is possible, and avoid nervous tension.

Remember all these recommendations. Try to follow them so that the analysis shows reliable results.

What determines testosterone levels in men?

Broad shoulders, narrow hips, a gorgeous mustache and beard, even without tests, indicate that there is enough androgen for a full life. Factors on which the level of testosterone in the body in men depends:

1. Age. Androgen production peaks at 25-30 years of age, then decreases by 1-1.5% per year.
2. Lifestyle. Alcohol, smoking, and poor nutrition affect testosterone levels.
3. Poor health. Low immunity, obesity and chronic diseases.
4. Psychological condition. Stress and depression reduce the synthesis of sex hormones.

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Which is better to choose - general or free?

If the speed of researching the material is important to you, in commercial institutions, due to lower workload, the result can be obtained the next day.

ATTENTION! A testosterone test can be done under the compulsory medical insurance policy in the laboratories of public clinics and in private medical laboratories.

In government medical laboratories, the test can take up to 6 days. There are 2 types of tests carried out in laboratories: for total and bound testosterone.

In women, the predominant part of testosterone is bound to albumin and globulin (bound testosterone), and a small part circulates through the bloodstream in a free state (free - 1-4% of the total).

The free form is a bioavailable androgen ; it has an active effect on biological processes in the body.

The bound hormone is not active. Therefore, it is preferable to take a test for free hormone; it will be more informative than a test for general hormone.

A testosterone test involves taking venous blood.

How to prepare?

Typically, a referral for testosterone testing is given by specialized specialists: a gynecologist, endocrinologist or reproductive specialist.

To get correct results, follow the recommendations:

1. The analysis is carried out before 11 am - at this time the maximum level of androgen is observed.

IMPORTANT! As for when exactly you need to donate blood for testosterone and on what day of the cycle it is best to do this, in women the study is carried out on the 6-7th day of the menstrual cycle with a total cycle duration of 28 days.

2. Blood is donated on an empty stomach (food intake must be stopped at least 8 hours in advance, you can only drink water. Tea, coffee, juice are excluded).
3. Avoid sex the night before the test.
4. You can take the test no earlier than 2 weeks after stopping hormonal medications (including contraception) and 48 hours after stopping any other medications - if you are undergoing treatment, tell your doctor about it: some medications affect the level testosterone.
5. The day before, you should not eat fatty or fried foods, drink alcohol, or play sports.
6. It is necessary to completely eliminate physical activity 30 minutes before blood sampling (you cannot run, quickly climb stairs), emotional stress and smoking.
7. Blood is not donated within 24 hours after radiography, fluorography, ultrasound, physiotherapy, and colonoscopy.

How is it carried out?

1. Blood is taken from a vein.

2. A disposable system is used for blood collection.
3. The sampling site and the laboratory assistant’s hands are disinfected with strong modern skin antiseptics.
4. The area above the fence is clamped with a special venous hemostatic tourniquet.
5. The patient does not experience discomfort during blood sampling because the study requires a small volume of blood.

Testosterone norm

Androgen in the blood is picked up by proteins: globulin and albumin. SHBG binds and blocks interaction with body cells. The connection with albumin is fragile, together with free testosterone, and is considered biologically active. The norm of free testosterone in men is only 2% of the total. It is responsible for the proper functioning of the reproductive system and sexual desire.

Calculators for determining CT level

Such a concept as the free testosterone index appeared due to the direct relationship between this form and the general associated one. A kind of calculator is used for calculations. Using a special mathematical formula, which includes a certain ratio of total CT to the amount of globulin and the concentration of sex hormones, a calculation is made. This calculator is used to determine the pathological deficiency or excess of these substances in human blood.

A blood test for testosterone (if it is carried out without taking into account a specific fraction) will not be informative. This is due to the fact that in the human body this substance always passes from one state to another.

When diagnosing any disease, it is very important to determine in what quantity such a hormone is present, whether bound or free.

High testosterone levels

Well-developed muscles, deep voice, receding hairline and an abundance of body hair. This is often what a man looks like when he has more free androgens in his blood than normal. He has an intense sex life, is impulsive and likes to take risks. Excess testosterone often occurs in teenagers. During puberty, this does not necessarily lead to pathology. In adult representatives of the stronger half, health suffers due to hormonal disorders.

Symptoms

In boys and young men, elevated androgen levels affect the rapid formation of bones, which leads to short stature. Puberty is early. With it, the penis enlarges, and the scrotum, on the contrary, grows slowly. Excess testosterone in men is indicated by:

• increased sexual desire;
• tendency to violence;
• excitability;
• hot temper, nervousness;
• excess body hair;
• acne;
• suicidal tendencies, drug addiction, alcoholism.

Causes

Secretion of the sex hormone occurs in the testicles - paired glands in the scrotum and in the adrenal cortex. Commands for production come from the brain. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are responsible for them. Pathological androgen levels are associated with dysfunction of these organs. An increased level of testosterone in the blood in men can provoke:

• hard physical labor;
• congenital dysfunction of the adrenal cortex;
• hereditary pathology of the genitals;
• prostate tumors;
• testicular cancer;
• pituitary adenoma;
• improper use of steroids for muscle growth.

Hormone value

Throughout the day, the human body produces thousands of hormones. All of them are responsible for the functioning of certain systems in the body. In this case, testosterone is directly classified as a sex hormone. It has a steroid nature and belongs to the androgen class.

In the male body, this biological substance is successfully produced in the hypothalamus, as well as in the testes. In women, synthesis occurs in the adrenal glands and also in the ovaries. A minimal amount of the element is also produced in the liver.

It is known that testosterone is very important for boys in the puberty period of maturation and development of the body. It is its influence that determines the formation of a figure according to the male type. At the same time, for a woman, testosterone becomes a kind of precursor to estrogen. Let us indicate the important functions of this element in the female body:

• Stimulation of active hematopoiesis in the bone marrow;
• Supporting muscle development;
• Ensuring stable sexual desire, increasing libido levels;
• Guaranteeing good mineral metabolic processes in bone tissue;
• Formation of strong bones, a strong skeleton;
• Stimulating good growth of nails and hair;
• Restoring the proper functioning of the sebaceous glands;
• Ensuring beauty, elasticity and even skin tone.

In addition, it is testosterone that has a positive effect on restoring a normal emotional state. With sufficient education, the risk of developing depression is much lower. The mental and psychological state becomes stable.

Testosterone is below normal

One of the reasons for the midlife crisis around the age of 40 is that the concentration of hormones decreases. But failure can occur even in youth. Testosterone deficiency provokes depression and weakened sexual functions. A man gains excess weight, becomes apathetic and weak-willed, and his immunity decreases. Low testosterone leads to an increase in the female hormone estrogen. Gentlemen become like ladies.

Signs of low testosterone in men

• flabby, undeveloped muscles, instead of them there is excess adipose tissue;
• enlargement of the mammary glands – gynecomastia;
• female-type hysteria – touchiness, tearfulness;
• irregular morning erections;
• reduced seminal fluid volume;
• insomnia, shortness of breath, sweating;
• bone fragility due to lack of calcium.

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Causes

Testosterone levels in men depend on many factors. Some are genetically or socially determined, while others can be corrected. Here are the most common circumstances that lead to a decrease in the level of testosterone in the blood of men:

• natural aging of the body;
• smoking, frequent drinking of alcohol, drugs;
• chronic stress, adrenaline due to constant fear reduces the androgen content in the blood;
• taking large amounts of painkillers and antidepressants;
• lack of vitamins;
• short daylight hours.

Why is a decrease in sex hormone dangerous?

The level of testosterone in men protects the body from premature aging. With hormonal imbalances, the endocrine system, heart and brain are primarily affected. By the age of 40-50, dangerous diseases such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), stroke or heart attack can develop. Low testosterone levels, waist circumference more than 94 cm, blood sugar (from 6.4 mmol/l) and blood pressure above 140 mmHg. form “metabolic syndrome” - an increased risk of mortality from diseases associated with metabolic disorders.

Let's sum it up

So, what conclusions can we draw?

Too high or too low levels of male sex hormones are fraught with serious disorders, since the hormonal background must be in balance, which maintains the normal functioning of the body.

When testosterone increases, skin problems appear, hair falls out, and mood and mental state can seriously change. The most serious problems are pathologies of the cardiovascular system and infertility.

Pathological changes in testosterone levels are fraught with the occurrence of various health problems

If the male hormone, on the contrary, is reduced, this also threatens heart problems, weight gain, endocrine system disorders, brittle bones and weakness in intimate life.

Doctors recommend getting tested for testosterone at least once a year. This will allow you to monitor your health and, if necessary, prevent the development of various diseases.

Normalization methods

Before prescribing drug therapy, doctors advise changing lifestyle and diet. Sometimes regular exercise, walks in the fresh air and healthy sleep can bring androgen levels back to normal. A diet of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meat, and giving up bad habits work wonders at any age. If general recommendations do not help, medications are used. Let's name a few of the most common:

1. Sustanon 250 is administered intramuscularly once every 7-10 days to treat hypogonadism (testicular dysfunction).
2. Androgel is applied to the skin once a day, no more than 10 grams, and is used in hormone replacement therapy.
3. Andriol in tablets, suitable for any age, does not suppress the synthesis of your own testosterone, is used to treat infertility and endocrine impotence.

There are medications that stimulate the production of male hormones. Normal testosterone levels in men. They increase sexual desire and help athletes build muscles:

• Cyclo-Bolan;
• Arimatest;
• Tribulus.

Therapy with drugs that normalize sex hormone levels is prescribed by an andrologist or endocrinologist. Each person is individual; to find out the dosage and determine treatment methods, a comprehensive diagnosis is needed. The table shows testosterone norms in men by age, reference values: