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Reproductive Health

Androstenedione

Androstenedione is an early-stage building-block hormone that the body turns into testosterone and oestrogen. It is made by the adrenal glands (small glands above your kidneys) and by the ovaries or testes. It is usually checked as one part of a wider hormone work-up — for example, when looking into unwanted hair growth or irregular periods — rather than on its own.

Targeted Testing
CategoryReproductive Health
Reference rangeSee your report
Evidence○Targeted Testing
Last updated3 July 2026
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What is androstenedione?

Androstenedione is a steroid hormone — one of the adrenal androgens, a group produced by the adrenal glands. Specifically, it is made in the inner zona reticularis (the innermost layer of the adrenal cortex, the outer shell of each adrenal gland). The ovaries and testes also produce androstenedione. It serves as a precursor — a chemical building block — that the body can convert into stronger androgens such as testosterone, or into oestrogen. Measuring androstenedione helps assess the function of the adrenal glands and, in women, the ovaries, in producing androgens. Because it sits within a chain of hormone conversions, it is most informative when read alongside other androgen markers such as testosterone, DHEA-S (another adrenal androgen) and SHBG, rather than as a standalone result.

Why is it tested?

Androstenedione is usually ordered as part of an androgen work-up — an assessment of androgen (male hormone) levels overall — rather than in isolation. Your GP may include it when investigating symptoms of androgen excess: these include hirsutism (unwanted or excess body hair), acne, female-pattern hair loss, and irregular periods. These features are sometimes grouped under the term hyperandrogenism — a raised androgen state. In the context of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS — a common hormonal condition involving irregular ovulation), elevated androgens are one of the diagnostic features. Androstenedione can help identify whether excess androgens are coming from the adrenal glands, the ovaries, or both.

Reference range (Australia)

Use the reference interval printed on your report — androstenedione is interpreted as part of an androgen work-up rather than as a stand-alone number nmol/L

Androstenedione is one of several androgens; it is read together with testosterone, SHBG and DHEA-S in an androgen-excess assessment, against the report's interval.

Reference intervals vary between laboratories. Always use the range printed on your own report.

What your result means

If your level is low

A below-range androstenedione may reflect lower adrenal or ovarian androgen output. It is rarely the main clinical concern and is most often interpreted as part of the wider androgen picture rather than acted on alone. Your GP will consider it in context of your other results and symptoms.

If your level is in range

An androstenedione within the reference interval on your report suggests your androgen production in this pathway is within the expected range. Your GP will weigh it alongside the rest of your hormone assessment.

If your level is high

A raised androstenedione level points toward higher androgen production — from the adrenal glands, the ovaries, or both. In the setting of symptoms such as acne, hirsutism (excess body hair), or irregular cycles, a high androstenedione forms part of an androgen-excess picture (clinical hyperandrogenism). A single result does not confirm a diagnosis on its own. These symptoms are common and there are good ways to manage them. A high androstenedione is a clue about where the hormones are coming from, not a verdict about you. Your GP will read it alongside testosterone, DHEA-S, SHBG, and your clinical picture.

What can affect your result

Androstenedione is produced in the adrenal glands and in the ovaries (or testes), so conditions affecting either organ can influence its level. Because it is an adrenal androgen, it shares some of the same drivers as DHEA-S — the adrenal glands' overall activity. The body can also convert androstenedione into stronger androgens such as testosterone, and it can be carried further along the chain from there. So androstenedione sits in the middle of a chain of hormone conversions. To make sense of where in that chain any excess is arising, the wider androgen picture — including DHEA-S and testosterone — is needed. In women, androstenedione comes partly from the ovaries, so levels can shift across the menstrual cycle. Stress, significant illness, and conditions directly affecting the adrenal glands or ovaries can also affect levels.

When to act

Because androstenedione is most meaningful as part of an androgen work-up, an out-of-range result is best discussed with your GP alongside your other hormone results and symptoms. They will consider whether additional markers — such as testosterone, DHEA-S, or cortisol — are needed to complete the picture. A raised androstenedione in the context of androgen-excess symptoms is worth exploring further; a raised result without symptoms may need less urgent follow-up. This page is general information and is not a substitute for advice from your GP.

Frequently asked questions

Androstenedione is one of the adrenal androgens — hormones produced by the inner layer of the adrenal gland's cortex. The adrenal glands' zona reticularis produces both dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione. It is a chemical building block that the body can convert into stronger androgens, including testosterone, or into oestrogen. It is present in men and women.

Androstenedione is tested as part of a wider androgen assessment, not on its own. When investigating symptoms of elevated androgens — such as acne, hirsutism (excess body hair), or irregular cycles — your GP may check whether biochemical hyperandrogenism (elevated serum androgens) is present. Androstenedione helps indicate whether excess androgens are coming from the adrenal glands, the ovaries, or both.

A high androstenedione, in the setting of androgen-excess symptoms such as acne, female-pattern hair loss, and hirsutism, forms part of a picture of elevated androgen activity (hyperandrogenism). It is one piece of that picture alongside testosterone, SHBG and DHEA-S. A single high result does not confirm a particular condition. Your GP will look at the full hormone panel and your clinical picture before drawing conclusions.

Generally no — androstenedione is one component of an androgen work-up rather than a standalone test. The adrenal glands produce both dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione as part of the same pathway, so your GP will usually look at several androgen markers together to understand the full picture of androgen production and activity.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition where elevated androgens are one of the key diagnostic features. Elevated serum androgens — such as total testosterone or elevated free androgen index — and clinical signs of hyperandrogenism (acne, hirsutism, female-pattern hair loss) are part of the diagnostic picture. Androstenedione can contribute to that androgen excess, so measuring it helps your GP understand whether androgens are elevated and whether the adrenal glands or ovaries (or both) are the primary source.

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