Private MD News

Statement recommends standardization of testosterone testing procedures

Category: Hormones and Metabolism

A deficiency of testosterone may lead to a range of health complications in men. However, testing procedures often vary from physician to physician. For this reason, several national health agencies recently released a joint statement calling for standardization of testosterone testing.

The report, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, states that the serious nature of conditions that are caused by low testosterone demands improvements in testing. Some of the illnesses caused by low testosterone include depression, fatigue and an increased risk of certain cancers.

"The development of this consensus statement has been a collaborative effort among key stakeholders including professional societies, laboratories and regulatory agencies," said William Rosner, a lead author and a member of The Endocrine Society, which was one of 11 groups that worked on the statement.

"Not only does this entire group benefit from better assays, but all bear some responsibility in working to improve accuracy."

One of the main points the group called for is a standardization of the criteria by which testosterone testing is recommended to men.