Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) Blood Test

Understanding SHBG is another tool to use in evaluating hormones. SHBG stands for sex hormone binding globulin. It's a protein made by the liver and attaches itself to sex hormones found in both men and women. These hormones are: Testosterone, the main sex hormone in men.

The normal ranges for SHBG concentrations in adults are:

Males: 10 to 57 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) Females (nonpregnant): 18 to 144 nmol/L.

A high SHBG level means that it is likely that less free testosterone is available to your tissues than is indicated by the total testosterone test. Excessively high SHBG is problematic especially for males and athletes because it decreases the amount of free testosterone. High levels of SHBG are associated with infertility, a decreased sex drive, and erectile dysfunction, especially when total testosterone levels are already low

If your results show your SHBG levels are too low, it may mean the protein is not attaching itself to enough testosterone. This allows more unattached testosterone to be available in your system. It may cause too much testosterone to go to your body's tissues. Various hormonal disorders, genetic mutations, and liver conditions are believed to cause SHBG to decrease. Low SHBG has been linked to metabolic diseases (like diabetes), breast cancer, heart disease, and PCOS.