Testosterone, also known as androgen, abbreviated as T, is a key androgen in the body. Men need strong androgens to promote the growth and development of male secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive organs, maintain healthy male sexual function activities, and play a role in reproduction. Women need a small amount of androgens to adapt to the normal growth and development of the body, and not affect female sexual characteristics and fertility. In addition, testosterone also plays a role in promoting protein synthesis, bone growth and development, and the transformation of blood cells.

The standard value of testosterone is below:

Normal men 410-712 ng/dl

Follicular phase women 37.08-43.12 ng/dl

Ovulation phase women 43.86-53.34 ng/dl

Follicular phase women 38.9-44.3 ng/dl

Perimenopausal women 8-44 ng/dl

An increase in testosterone components is common in the following conditions:

1. Hirsutism in women, women with male characteristics, and XYY women.

2. In patients with hyperaldosteronism, due to the increased activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, ACTH production increases, leading to adrenal hyperplasia, followed by an increase in testosterone components. 3. Pathological precocious puberty in males, in addition to increased testosterone production, FSH and LH components also increase. 4. Polycystic ovary syndrome. 5. Male testicular Leydig cell tumors due to the proliferation of Leydig cells in the testes, can produce and release a large amount of testosterone into the blood. 6. During pregnancy, measuring the amount of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone in the pregnant woman’s blood has practical value for fetal sex determination. 7. The use of exogenous testosterone or gonadotropins can increase the level of testosterone in the blood.

A decrease in testosterone components is common in the following conditions:

1. Congenital male hypogonadism syndrome.

2. Male hypogonadism or male testicular regression syndrome.

3. Testicular inflammation or after direct exposure to high X-ray radiation.

4. Hypopituitarism.

5. Decreased male sexual function, chronic hepatitis, chronic renal function impairment, etc.