Low measured free testosterone is associated with worse sexual function in community-dwelling men
Authors' conclusion
In community-dwelling men, lower mFT was associated with worse erectile function, fewer sexual intercourse attempts, reduced orgasm frequency, and lower sexual desire, with apparent non-linear thresholds for erectile dysfunction and orgasm frequency at 163 and 138 pmol/L, respectively.
Study context
- Population
- Community-dwelling men, European Male Ageing Study participants; mean age 70.5 ± 8.5 years, body mass index (BMI) 27.3 ± 3.3 kg/m²
- Participants
- 526 men
- Exposure
- Measured free T (mFT) vs calculated free T (cFT) and total T as correlates of sexual function
- Outcome
- Associations of lower mFT (per 10 pmol/L decrease) with sexual outcomes, adjusted for age, BMI and center
Methodological detailsSexual function assessed by validated questionnaire, mFT measured by LC-MS/MS after equilibrium dialysis; Vermeulen-derived cFT from LC-MS/MS total T and SHBG, Proportional ordinal logistic regression and restricted cubic splines adjusted for age, BMI and center
- Sexual function assessed by validated questionnaire
- mFT measured by LC-MS/MS after equilibrium dialysis; Vermeulen-derived cFT from LC-MS/MS total T and SHBG
- Proportional ordinal logistic regression and restricted cubic splines adjusted for age, BMI and center
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Erectile dysfunction, OR per 10 pmol/L mFT decrease
1.04
1.01–1.06
Fewer sexual intercourse, OR
1.03
1.00–1.06
Lower orgasm frequency, OR
1.03
1.01–1.06
Reduced sexual desire, OR
1.03
1.01–1.05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Associations of total T and cFT with sexual outcomes
- cFT with erectile dysfunction, OR
- 1.03 [1.01-1.05]
- cFT with reduced sexual desire, OR
- 1.03 [1.00-1.05]
- Total T was not associated with any outcome
Non-linear associations of mFT
pmol/L
- Markedly steeper increase in predicted probability of erectile dysfunction below mFT threshold
- 163
- Markedly steeper increase in predicted probability of lower orgasm frequency below mFT threshold
- 138
Free T levels
- cFT, mean ± SD
- 269.2 ± 86.6 pmol/L
- mFT, mean ± SD
- 198 ± 82 pmol/L
Original publication
Low measured free testosterone is associated with worse sexual function in community-dwelling men. Eur J Endocrinol. Published 30 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →