Androgen Levels in Adult Females: Changes with Age, Menopause, and Oophorectomy

The objective of this study was to document the effects of age on androgen levels in healthy women and to explore the effects of natural and surgical menopause. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 1423 non-healthcare-seeking women, aged 18-75 yr, randomly recruited from the community over 15 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum levels by age of total testosterone (T), calculated free T, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and androstenedione in a reference group of women free of confounding factors. Women in the reference group had no usage of exogenous steroid therapy; no history of tubal ligation, hysterectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy; and no hyperprolactinemia or polycystic ovarian syndrome. The effects of natural and surgical menopause on sex steroid levels were also examined.

In the reference population (n = 595), total T, calculated free T, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and androstenedione declined steeply with age (P