Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38383878›Full record

ArticleJournal of endocrinological investigation2024

Novel reference range values for serum testosterone: a cross-sectional study of 200,000 males.

Richard J Fantus, Daniel R Greenberg, Cecilia Chang, Brian T Helfand, Jianfeng Xu, Jun Wei, Jonathan E Shoag, Ajay K Nangia, Robert E Brannigan, Joshua A Halpern

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. [Testosterone-"Fuel" for old men?]Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Richard J FantusDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Northshore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Daniel R GreenbergDepartment of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 675 N. Clair Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5050-7414
Cecilia ChangDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Northshore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Brian T HelfandDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Northshore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Jianfeng XuDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Northshore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Jun WeiDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Northshore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Jonathan E ShoagDepartment of Urology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Ajay K NangiaDepartment of Urology, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Robert E BranniganDepartment of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 675 N. Clair Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Joshua A HalpernDepartment of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 675 N. Clair Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. joshua.halpern@northwestern.edu.
NorthShore University HealthSystem · USNorthwestern University · USUniversity Hospitals of Cleveland · USUniversity of Kansas Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo better understand the effects of aging, metabolic syndrome, diurnal variation, and seasonal variation on serum testosterone levels in the context of current guideline statements on testosterone deficiency.

methodsThis cross-sectional study utilized the United Kingdom Biobank. Physical examination, anthropomorphic measurements, and laboratory evaluation were performed at the time of enrollment from 2006 to 2010. The primary outcomes were the effect of age, the presence of metabolic syndrome, the time of day, and the month of the year on serum testosterone levels.

resultsAmong 197,883 included men, the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th percentile testosterone levels in men without metabolic syndrome were significantly higher than those in men with metabolic syndrome at every decade of life (p < 0.001). The average testosterone level within each group (men without metabolic syndrome vs. men with) was clinically similar across decade of life (12.43 in 40's 12.29 in 50's 12.24 in 60's vs. 10.69 in 40's 10.56 in 50's 10.63 in 60's respectively). Average testosterone levels decreased with blood draws later in the day ranging from 10.91 to 12.74 nmol/L (p < 0.01). Similarly, there was seasonal variation in serum testosterone ranging from 11.86 to 12.18 nmol/L (p < 0.01).

conclusionsWe found significant variation in serum testosterone according to the presence of metabolic syndrome and time of laboratory draw, but not according to age. These data challenge the prior dogma of age-related hypogonadism and favor an individualized approach towards serum testosterone measurement and interpretation. However, further studies are needed to correlate these population-based data with individuals' hypogonadal symptoms.

Indexed as

Metabolic SyndromeTestosteroneAdultAgedAgingCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedReference ValuesSeasonsUnited KingdomTestosteroneDiurnal variationGuidelineMetabolic syndromeReference valuesTestosterone

Identifiers

PMID38383878
OpenAlexW4392089577

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.