Are We Testing Appropriately for Low Testosterone?: Characterization of Tested Men and Compliance with Current Guidelines

• Published in: Journal of sexual medicine 2015-01, Vol.12 (1), p.66-75
• Main Authors: Malik, Rena D., Lapin, Brittany, Wang, Chihsiung E., Lakeman, Justin C., Helfand, Brian T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Comorbidity; Diurnal Variation; European Continental Ancestry Group; Guideline Adherence; Humans; Hypogonadism; Hypogonadism - blood; Hypogonadism - diagnosis; Libido; Logistic Models; Low Testosterone; Male; Middle Aged; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Serum Total Testosterone Testing; Testosterone - blood; Testosterone - deficiency; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1743-6095; 1743-6109
• DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12730

Direct‐to‐consumer ads for testosterone replacement therapies have significantly increased over the past several years. Subsequently, testing for low serum testosterone has correspondingly increased. We sought to determine the testing behaviors of practitioners as well as the characteristics of men who are undergoing testing for low testosterone. Men aged 18–85 years were queried from the institutional electronic data warehouse from 2009 to 2012. Men were considered “tested” if their serum total testosterone level had been measured for any purpose. Tested men (TM) were compared with those not tested (NT). The frequency and timing of testing for low testosterone as well as patient demographics and clinical characteristics were compared between TM and NT using multivariable logistic regression models. Of the 321,674 total men, 10,133 (3.2%) underwent testing with a serum total testosterone (mean age of 55.2 ± 14.1 years). The frequency of testing increased from 2.5% to 3.6% during the study period (P