Which hormone values does a testosterone test measure?
Eight values that together give the whole picture. Total testosterone is the starting point, but by far the largest share of it is bound to SHBG and albumin. Free testosterone and the free androgen index show what is actually available to your muscles, your energy and your libido.
LH and FSH tell you where a low value comes from: the testes themselves, or the signalling from the brain. Prolactin and estradiol complete the picture. Elevated prolactin can lower your testosterone, and estradiol shows how much testosterone is converted into estrogen. Every value comes with a plain-language explanation in the app and has its own page in the biomarker library.
When is your testosterone too low?
There is no national threshold. Four Dutch labs, four lower limits: for men up to 50 the lower limit for total testosterone runs from 6.1 to 9.0 nmol/L, and at the three labs that publish free testosterone from 165 to 210 pmol/L. The same value is low at one lab and normal at another. That is why the app shows your value against the reference ranges of the lab that ran your sample, and the total testosterone page puts the labs' tables side by side.
Guidelines only speak of a deficiency when a low value has been measured twice in the morning and there are symptoms to go with it. One low value is a reason to repeat, not a conclusion. Which symptoms those are is explained under low testosterone.
What time should you draw for a reliable testosterone value?
Testosterone peaks in the morning and drops over the day. So book your draw in the morning, preferably before 10:00 and fasted. Reference ranges and guidelines assume a morning measurement, which makes your value comparable with the lab and with your next test.
Slept badly or just been ill? That lowers your testosterone temporarily. Draw on an ordinary day, so you measure yourself and not your week.
With Optimize you book the appointment yourself at one of the 350+ draw locations, without a doctor's referral. Your 8 values are typically in the Optimize app within 24 hours, with an explanation per hormone and how they relate.
Markers explained
What does each value in the testosterone test measure?
Eight hormone values, each with its own role in the picture of your testosterone, plus one optional add-on: Prostate health (PSA).
add-on
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Frequently asked questions
The key things to know about testosterone testing with Optimize.
Yes. With Optimize you order the Hormones men test online and book an appointment at a draw location yourself, without a referral. You get total and free testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, prolactin and estradiol in one draw. Want to discuss your results with a doctor? They travel with you from the app.
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- Your trends on every retest, in the app
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