Men, Checking Testosterone Levels Isn’t Enough, Check Your Estrogen Too

Many patients that we consult with at Vitality Health South Florida in Naples, Fort Myers, and Bonita Springs, Florida have had their testosterone levels checked in the past by other practitioners to be told that their numbers were in “the normal range”. This does not always hold true, and it usually does not! This can leave a patient with confusion and without proper information, diagnosis, or treatment plan. As a result, you can potentially have what looks to be an appropriate total testosterone number but at the same time, be suffering the consequences of actually having low testosterone.

This is why checking the total testosterone is not enough!

Testosterone is best known and responsible for its essential roles related to sexual and reproductive function. However, there are many aspects to testosterone, and it’s been deemed to be so important hormone that the National Institutes of Health considers it the most crucial hormone for the male endocrine system. Generally, a man’s testosterone levels increase at puberty and remain at peak levels in the 16–25-year age range and then start to decline after age 30 and at an average of 1% per year. This decrease can be more dramatic for some men and it’s very possible to see men in their 30s and 40s with diagnosable low testosterone. When testosterone levels fall too low, many disruptions can occur including functions that control libido, bone mass, muscle mass, erections, mood, red blood cell production, fat distribution, and sperm production just to name a few.

Free Testosterone in contrast to Total Testosterone

Total testosterone is the combined total of the body’s free, bioavailable, and unavailable testosterone amount of testosterone produced in circulation. Total testosterone is subject to being bound by proteins and albumin or can be converted to other hormones. About 54% of all testosterones in the body can be bound and rendered useless by these proteins and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Free testosterone travels through the blood unattached to any proteins, albumin, or SHBG and withstands conversion into other hormones. On average, less than 3% of all testosterones are considered free testosterone. This small portion of testosterone can immediately transport into cells and is the actual portion of the testosterone that the body responds to.

Estrogen Needs to be Checked as Well

Therefore if you’ve had your testosterone levels evaluated but without the free testosterone, SHBG, Albumin, and estrogen, it could be very likely that you have not been provided with the most accurate information.