Androstenedione optimal range and reference range

Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

Sera's bands for Androstenedione, which differ for men and women:

Male: Optimal 0.5 – 1.5 ng/mL (1.75 – 5.2 nmol/L); sufficient 0.4 – 1.5 ng/mL (1.4 – 5.2 nmol/L); out of range below 0.4 or above 1.5 ng/mL.
Female: Optimal 0.5 – 2 ng/mL (1.75 – 7 nmol/L); sufficient 0.3 – 2 ng/mL (1.05 – 7 nmol/L); out of range below 0.3 or above 2 ng/mL.

Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.

All units

Unit	Applies to	Optimal	Sufficient	Out of range
ng/mL	Male	0.5 – 1.5	0.4 – 1.5	below 0.4 or above 1.5
ng/mL	Female	0.5 – 2	0.3 – 2	below 0.3 or above 2
nmol/L	Male	1.75 – 5.2	1.4 – 5.2	below 1.4 or above 5.2
nmol/L	Female	1.75 – 7	1.05 – 7	below 1.05 or above 7

What the evidence says

Useful when testosterone is equivocal but the picture suggests androgen excess. Raised in PMOS (formerly polycystic ovary syndrome) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Varies across the menstrual cycle and declines with age. The bands are Mayo Clinic Laboratories' adult intervals: 0.4 to 1.5 ng/mL (40 to 150 ng/dL) for men and 0.3 to 2.0 ng/mL (30 to 200 ng/dL) for women. Labcorp's interval for women aged 15 to 60 runs higher, to 2.55 ng/mL, and both sexes run lower after 60, so check the laboratory's own interval. Mayo notes that 5 ng/mL (500 ng/dL) or more can point to an androgen-secreting tumour. No published evidence defines an optimal level, so the optimal band shown is a functional target.

Menstrual cycle: Varies across the menstrual cycle, peaking around ovulation.

Assay: Results differ meaningfully between platforms and methods. Compare against the interval printed by the issuing laboratory before acting on a borderline value.

Sources

ANST - Overview: Androstenedione, Serum — Mayo Clinic Laboratories, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdults by LC-MS/MS: men 40 to 150 ng/dL, women 30 to 200 ng/dL. Levels of 500 ng/dL or more can suggest an androgen-secreting tumour. Supports sex-specific bands of 0.4 to 1.5 ng/mL for men and 0.3 to 2.0 for women.
Androstenedione by Ionify LC-MS/MS (test 004774) — Labcorp, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAges 15 to 60: men 28 to 167 ng/dL, women 39 to 255 ng/dL. Ages 61 to 80: men 20 to 115, women 16 to 105. Puts the male upper limit at 167 ng/dL, above Mayo's 150, and shows the female limit varies by assay and age.

What Androstenedione measures

An androgen precursor made by both the adrenal glands and the gonads, sitting one step before testosterone.

Raised in PMOS (formerly polycystic ovary syndrome) and in congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and useful when testosterone is equivocal but the clinical picture suggests androgen excess. It varies across the menstrual cycle and falls steadily with age.

Related hormone health markers

See Androstenedione in the full list of biomarker ranges

This page is a reference for practitioners, not medical advice. Sera's bands are practitioner targets for structured review, not diagnostic thresholds, and Sera does not diagnose or recommend treatment. Read a result alongside the interval printed by the issuing laboratory and the client's history and symptoms. Range set: Sera Production, version 1.0, last reviewed November 9, 2026.