What Is A Normal Testosterone Level For A Man In His 50’s?

Usually, the normal levels range from 270 to 1070 ng/dL with an average of 679 ng/dL. Normal testosterone levels reach a maximum level about age 20, and then it starts to slowly decrease. Any level above or below the normal range is considered abnormal. 606 ng/dL is a normal testosterone level for a man in his 50’s.

The late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is the decrease of serum testosterone levels (STL), which occurs in men as part of the aging process. As men get older their serum testosterone levels decreases.

However, unlike menopause, where complete estrogenic deficiency occurs with its well-known clinical consequences, the decrease of serum testosterone levels that occurs in adult men is modest and the clinical consequences have not been fully established.

During the aging process in men, changes in bodily functions occur, which are similar to the clinical manifestations that occur in hypogonadism due to a known cause, which increases the possibility that the decrease in testosterone production is the cause of these physical changes.

The clinical signs of androgenic deficiency in older men that are recognized more easily are a decrease in strength and muscle mass, a decrease in bone density, osteoporosis and development of centripetal obesity.

None of these symptoms is specific to androgenic deficiency, but they are suggestive of the decrease in serum testosterone levels. There may be some other symptoms such as decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, mastodynia (pain in the breast) and gynecomastia (enlargement of a man´s breast), sleep disturbances, skin and hair changes, memory loss, decreased the ability to concentrate, insomnia and decreased the sensation of well-being and vitality. This condition can result in a significant deterioration of the quality of life and adversely affect the function of multiple organ systems.

The late-onset hypogonadism is important because it causes potentially severe consequences that can be avoided or treated.

Currently, the sector of the affected population is in the expansion. Some prospective studies conducted in the nineties indicate that low serum testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 and metabolic syndrome.

The decrease in serum testosterone levels is a gradual process, related to age and that results in a decrease of approximately 1% of serum testosterone levels per year, from the age of 30 years. Although the decrease in STL is gradual, according to a study of Baltimore, in the eighth decade of life, 30% of patients have serum testosterone levels in the hypogonadic range and 50% have low levels of free testosterone. The rate of decrease in serum testosterone levels related to age varies in different individuals, being able to be affected by the presence of chronic diseases or the consumption of medicines. In addition, the prototype clinical presentation (decreased sexual desire) can often present with serum testosterone levels and normal testosterone receptors.

The decrease of serum testosterone levels in elderly adults may result from a decreased testicular response to gonadotropin stimulation associated with incomplete hypothalamic pituitary compensation, due to the same decrease in serum testosterone levels totals.

Currently the diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism requires the presence of signs and symptoms suggestive of deficiency testosterone, as well as low serum levels of this hormone. The most frequently associated symptom a late-onset hypogonadism is the diminution of sexual appetite. The presence of some of the symptoms related to late-onset hypogonadism, must be corroborated with the determination of the serum testosterone levels totals should exclude the presence of depression, hypothyroidism or alcoholism, as well as the consumption of medications such as corticosteroids, cimetidine, spironolactone, digoxin, opioid analgesics and antidepressants.

The diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism should not be made during an acute pathological episode, which may result in transiently low levels of testosterone.

Serum testosterone has a diurnal variation and the sample in blood must be obtained between seven and 11 hours. The most widely accepted parameter to establish the presence of hypogonadism is the determination of total serum testosterone. The International Society of Andrology, International Society for the Study of Male Aging, European Association of Urology, European Academy of Urology and the guidelines of the American Association of Andrology, suggest that individuals with total serum testosterone levels greater than 350 ng/dL, do not require treatment hormonal substitute.

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