Androstenedione
- Also Known As:
- AD

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To help evaluate adrenal gland function; to detect adrenal tumors or cancers; to help determine the cause of male physical characteristics (virilization) in females or early puberty in boys; to evaluate androgen production and function of ovaries in women or testicular function in men; when congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is suspected; to monitor treatment for CAH
When To Get Tested?
When a woman has excess facial and body hair (hirsutism), acne, no monthly menstrual periods (amenorrhea), fewer than 6-8 menstrual cycle per year (oligomenorrhea), or infertility; when a boy is undergoing very early (precocious) puberty or a girl is showing signs of virilization; when puberty is delayed; when diagnosing CAH; periodically when being treated for CAH
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm
Test Preparation Needed?
In menstruating women, there may be specific instructions as to timing of the sample collection.
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
What is being tested?
Androstenedione is an androgen, one of several “male” sex hormones that are responsible for the onset of sexual differentiation in males and females and the development of secondary male physical characteristics such as a deep voice and facial hair. Though it is considered to be a “male” sex hormone, it is present in the blood of both men and women and is a precursor that can be converted by the body into more potent androgens, such as testosterone, or converted into the female hormone estrogen. This test measures the amount of androstenedione in the blood.
Androstenedione is produced by the ovaries in women, the testicles in men, and by the adrenal glands in both.
- The pituitary hormone LH stimulates the release of androstenedione by the ovaries and testicles.
- The pituitary hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulates the release of androstenedione by the adrenal glands.
The level of androstenedione in the blood will vary during the day in a “diurnal pattern,” and it will vary during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Because of its origins, androstenedione can be useful as a marker of adrenal gland function, of androgen production, and of the function of the ovaries or testicles. An androstenedione test is often performed after results of other tests, such as testosterone or 17-hydroxyprogesterone, are found to be abnormal.
An excess level of androstenedione and other androgens can cause children to have sex organs that are not clearly male or female (ambiguous external genitalia), excess body hair (hirsutism), and abnormal menstrual periods in girls and precocious (early) puberty in girls and boys.
Adrenal tumors, ACTH-producing tumors, and adrenal hyperplasia can lead to the overproduction of androstenedione. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have higher levels of androstenedione as well. While elevated levels may not be noticed in adult men, they can lead to noticeable male physical characteristics (virilization) and a lack of monthly menstrual periods (amenorrhea) in females.
Common Questions
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
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Sources Used in Previous Reviews
Elhomsy, G. (Updated 2012 September 12). Androstenedione. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088804-overview. Accessed May 2013.
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Wilson, T. (Updated 2013 June 13). Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/919218-overview. Accessed May 2013.
Meikle, A. (Updated 2013 January). Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia – CAH. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/CAH.html?client_ID=LTD. Accessed May 2013.
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