AMA backs standardization of testosterone testing

The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates unanimously adopted a resolution introduced by The Endocrine Society calling for the standardization of testosterone assays, including increased measures of analytical accuracy by laboratory associations and education for clinicians who use the assays.

Adoption of this resolution, which was co-sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, means that it is now AMA policy and is wholly supported by the full House of Delegates, The Endocrine Society said in a statement.

"The standardization of testosterone tests to produce measurements that are accurate, reliable, and comparable over time will benefit everyone from the scientists conducting research to the patients and their physicians who rely on the tests for diagnosis and treatment," said Kelly E. Mayo, PhD, president of The Endocrine Society. "The Society looks forward to working with the AMA and others in the medical community to encourage action needed to ensure testosterone assay standardization."

Specifically, the resolution states that the AMA:

• supports efforts to standardize testosterone assays
• will work with the appropriate laboratory associations to increase use of analytic accuracy in testosterone assays
• will work with other medical associations to educate clinicians about the variability of testosterone analytical accuracy.