Testosterone Deficiency - Establishing A Biochemical Diagnosis

Testosterone deficiency is a common and often unrecognized disorder impacting the lives of many men. Symptoms related to low testosterone are relatively non-specific and clinicians must therefore ensure that a patients' symptomatology is supported by a biochemical profile suggestive of testosterone deficiency. There are many options available to determine a patient's testosterone level and laboratories will vary in the type of biochemical assessment they provide. In assessing patients with suspected low testosterone, the presence of symptoms and a low total testosterone is usually sufficient to initiate therapy. In equivocal cases, measurement of free or bioavailable testosterone with a reliable assay can further clarify the clinical picture. By understanding the differences between total, free and bioavailable testosterone, and the accuracy and reliability of their measurement, clinicians can better interpret their patients' biochemical testosterone profile.