Here is a dumb question.....and rambling.....

[eric619]

Waiting for the day I can go to my first endo appt. but browsing through the forum I noticed one thing that seems really inconsistant so I thought I would ask. This may have already been asked before, but why do all the reference ranges vary so much on the testosterone tests? Reading through some of the posts for males under 45 I have seen reference ranges of

250 - 1100 ng/dl
129 - 767 ng/dl
160 - 726 ng/dl
300 - 1000 ng/dl
280 - 800 ng/dl

Just thought I would ask, because if they are all using the same measurment ng/dl. and all of these tests are on males under 45. Why the huge variance. Is this based on location. Is somone who lives in a southern state (FL, TX, CA) supposed to have a higher testosterone than some one that lives in a northern state (MA, CO, WA)?

I understand that there are many variables in different locals like weather, age demographics, diet, etc. that can effect testosterone. Some of which you can control and some you can't unless you move to another state.

Was just a question that I thought I would ask. If all labs are measuring the testosterone with the same measurment ng/dl then how are they determining the reference ranges that they decide to use.

Which then brings up another question. How many of the people that get thier testosterone checked would actually be in the normal range since most tests are run when people are feeling the symptoms. how many normal healthy men go have thier testosterone checked when there is nothing wrong. (guessing not many) Which would in turn skew the reference ranges more torward the lower end of the spectrum.

Sorry just thoughts and rambling...

[flatscat]

Waiting for the day I can go to my first endo appt. but browsing through the forum I noticed one thing that seems really inconsistant so I thought I would ask. This may have already been asked before, but why do all the reference ranges vary so much on the testosterone tests? Reading through some of the posts for males under 45 I have seen reference ranges of

250 - 1100 ng/dl
129 - 767 ng/dl
160 - 726 ng/dl
300 - 1000 ng/dl
280 - 800 ng/dl

Just thought I would ask, because if they are all using the same measurment ng/dl. and all of these tests are on males under 45. Why the huge variance. Is this based on location. Is somone who lives in a southern state (FL, TX, CA) supposed to have a higher testosterone than some one that lives in a northern state (MA, CO, WA)?

I understand that there are many variables in different locals like weather, age demographics, diet, etc. that can effect testosterone. Some of which you can control and some you can't unless you move to another state.

Was just a question that I thought I would ask. If all labs are measuring the testosterone with the same measurment ng/dl then how are they determining the reference ranges that they decide to use.

Which then brings up another question. How many of the people that get thier testosterone checked would actually be in the normal range since most tests are run when people are feeling the symptoms. how many normal healthy men go have thier testosterone checked when there is nothing wrong. (guessing not many) Which would in turn skew the reference ranges more torward the lower end of the spectrum.

Sorry just thoughts and rambling...

sorry you have not had any replies -

lemme take a stab it your questions...

i have heard the ranges are different for different labs, they take all of the males who have had b/w including all of the things we talk about here, and use the numbers for the ranges. I am sure they have a formula to throw out highs and lows, but the real travesty is they use all ages for the reference range you see. There are graphs by age and range that all doc's should look at when diagnosing low t - (I know that AA docs and clinics do go by these), but your local primary care physician does not - he just goes by ranges printed on your labs.

Your last question, or point seems valid to me as well, although it is not the high end of normal that is off, only the low end.