Dihydrotestosterone | Laboratory research

General Information

Dihydrotestosterone is an androgenic hormone that causes the development of male characteristics in men. The effect of dihydrotestosterone starts from the embryonic period.

In adults, approximately 10% of the daily amount of testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone. This is carried out in the skin of the genitals and the prostate gland in males and in the skin of females. This process also takes place in the liver. Male individuals naturally have much higher dihydrotestosterone levels than females.

The role of dihydrotestosterone in the body

It has different functions in different life stages of male individuals, the main function is during fetal development and puberty.

Unlike testosterone, dihydrotestosterone does not play a decisive role in the physiological processes of the male body.

Dihydrotestosterone and fetal development

During the development of the fetus, the specific hormonal environment ensures the differentiation of the sexual anatomy into female and male sex. Dihydrotestosterone, together with other male hormones (mainly testosterone), blocks the development of the female genital organs in the male sex and ensures the formation of sex-distorting organs, mainly the external genitalia.

Dihydrotestosterone during puberty

During puberty, dihydrotestosterone in male children ensures the growth of the external genitalia, the formation of male-type hair: face, body, pubic hair and prostate maturation.

Norm indicator:

Women (before menopause) — 24-268 pg/ml

Women (postmenopausal) — 10-181 pg/ml

Men — 250-990 pg/ml

An increase in dihydrotestosterone is observed:

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

during prostate cancer

Androgenic alopecia (baldness)

In polycystic ovary syndrome

A low concentration of dihydrotestosterone is associated with:

with 5-alpha-reductase deficiency

In men with hypogonadism (low testosterone)

Low concentration of dihydrotestosterone causes pathological changes mainly in males. It is assumed that the decrease in hormone concentration during puberty is one of the reasons for the delay in puberty.

When to see a doctor?

In all situations where androgenic hormone imbalance is suspected, it is necessary to visit a specialist and plan studies.

Research material

Venous blood

advance preparation

No preliminary preparation is necessary. In the case of treatment with steroid hormones, it is recommended to take the medicine 2 hours before the test, in order to see the peak in the background of the medicine.