Free Testosterone, Direct (Male)

Other names: Free Testosterone(Direct)

check icon Optimal Result: 8.7 - 25.1 pg/mL.

Although Testosterone is generally viewed as a male-only hormone, women’s ovaries also make small amounts of testosterone. It helps many organs and body processes in women.

The pituitary gland in the brain controls the amount of testosterone the body makes.

Most of the testosterone in the blood attaches to 2 proteins: albumin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

Some testosterone is called free if it is not attached to proteins.

Free testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone are also referred to as bioavailable testosterone. This is the testosterone that is easily used by your body.

Gender/Age (y)

Range (pg/mL)

Male

0 to 19

Not established

20 to 29

9.3−26.5

30 to 39

8.7−25.1

40 to 49

6.8−21.5

50 to 59

7.2−24.0

>59

6.6−18.1

References:

- Nassar, G. N. & Leslie, S. W. (2022) Physiology, Testosterone. [Updated Jan. 4, 2022]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/

- Rasquin Leon, L. I., Anastasopoulou, C., & Mayrin, J. V. Polycystic ovarian disease. [Updated Jul. 21, 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459251/

- Sizar, O. & Schwartz, J. (2021). Hypogonadism. [Updated Jun. 29, 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532933/

- Snyder, P. J. (2020).  Approach to older men with low testosterone. In: Matsumoto, A. M., Schmader, K. E., & Martin, K. A. (Eds.). Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/approach-to-older-men-with-low-testosterone

- Trost, L. W. & Mulhall, J. P. (2016). Challenges in testosterone measurement, data interpretation, and methodological appraisal of interventional trials. The Journal of Sexual Medicine13(7), 1029–1046. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.04.068. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27209182/.

- Zarotsky V., Huang, M., Carman, W., Morgentaler, A., Singhal, P.K., Coffin, D. et al. (2014). Systematic literature review of the epidemiology of nongenetic forms of hypogonadism in adult males. Journal of Hormones, 2014, Article ID 19034. doi:10.1155/2014/190347. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jhor/2014/190347/

 

What does it mean if your Free Testosterone, Direct (Male) result is too high?

Most of the testosterone in your blood attaches to 2 proteins: albumin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Some testosterone is free, which means it is not attached to proteins. Free testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone are also referred to as bioavailable testosterone. This is the testosterone that is easily used by your body.

If your healthcare provider thinks that you have low or high testosterone, your total testosterone levels will be checked first. This looks at all 3 types of testosterone. The free testosterone can help give more information when total testosterone is low.

Too much testosterone in men can cause the following:

- Acne
- Increased risk of prostate cancer
- Male breast enlargement (gynecomastia) because some of the excess testosterone gets converted to estrogen
- Sleep apnea
- Aggressive moods
- Elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)  
- Increased red blood cell count (erythrocytosis) and clotting problems
- Shrinking testicles
- Other causes of high testosterone in men include testicular or adrenal gland tumors.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

What does it mean if your Free Testosterone, Direct (Male) result is too low?

While falling testosterone levels are a normal part of aging, certain conditions can hasten the decline. Risk factors include:

- injury or infection
- chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer
- medications, especially hormones used to treat prostate cancer and corticosteroid drugs
- chronic illness
- stress
- alcoholism
- obesity

Symptoms of low testosterone in men include:

- Fatigue, depression, or trouble concentrating
- Hair loss
- Loss of muscle mass
- Low sex drive
- Swollen breasts
- Trouble getting or keeping an erection
- Weak bones -- called osteoporosis

Some things that cause low testosterone can also cause a low sperm count. If your sperm count is low, your doctor might order this test.

Millions of men use testosterone replacement therapy to restore low levels and feel more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional. But it's not that simple. A man's general health also affects his testosterone levels. For instance, being overweight, having diabetes or thyroid problems, and taking certain medications, such as glucocorticoids and other steroids, can affect levels. Therefore, simply having low testosterone levels does not always call for taking extra testosterone.

Doctors diagnose low testosterone based on a physical exam, a review of symptoms, and the results of multiple blood tests since levels can fluctuate daily.

If your doctor diagnoses low testosterone, other tests may be considered before therapy. For example, low testosterone can speed bone loss, so your doctor may recommend a bone density test to see whether you also need treatment for osteoporosis.

Prostate cancer is another concern, as testosterone can fuel its growth. As a result, the Endocrine Society recommends against testosterone supplementation for men in certain situations, including those who:

- have prostate or breast cancer

- have an elevated blood level of prostate-specific antigen (a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer)

- have a prostate nodule that can be felt during a rectal exam.

Other circumstances in which testosterone supplementation is not recommended include:

- a plan to become a father in the near-term

- an elevated red blood cell count

- severe, untreated sleep apnea

- severe lower urinary tract symptoms

- poorly controlled heart failure

- heart attack or stroke within the last 6 months

- a tendency to form blood clots (a condition called thrombophilia)

In most cases, men need to have both low levels of testosterone in their blood and several symptoms of low testosterone to go on therapy. It is possible to have low levels and not experience symptoms. But if you do not have any key symptoms, especially fatigue and sexual dysfunction, which are the most common, it is not recommended you go on the therapy given the uncertainty about long-term safety.

Even if your levels are low and you have symptoms, low testosterone therapy is not always the first course of action. If your doctor can identify the source for declining levels—for instance, weight gain or a particular medication—he or she may first address that problem.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image