Men's blood tests by age: what 2,300 members' results show

Men's blood tests differ from women's in a few clear ways. In the first blood tests of about 2,300 men who joined Vively, 22% had ALT, a liver enzyme, above the lab range, against 8% of women. Total testosterone barely changed with age, but the typical free testosterone result was about a quarter lower in men aged 60 and over than in men in their 20s.

Vively is an Australian health membership. It starts with the Baseline Health Check, a blood test covering 70+ markers. We took each member's first result from January 2024 to October 2026 and compared men with women of the same age. Here are five things that stood out for men.

1. A raised liver enzyme shows up far more in men

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is an enzyme found mostly in the liver. When liver cells are under strain, more of it leaks into the blood. The typical lab range goes up to 40 U/L for men and 35 U/L for women.

22% of men had ALT above the lab range, against 8% of women. In men it was about the same from their 20s to their 50s (21% to 24%), then lower at 60 and over (12%).

A raised ALT is often linked to fat building up in the liver, alcohol, or some medicines and supplements. It doesn't point to one cause. Your GP or practitioner reads it with your other liver enzymes, triglycerides, insulin and alcohol intake. Our liver enzymes by age guide shows ALT and GGT for every age group, and the ALT test page explains the result.

2. High uric acid is mostly a men's result

Uric acid is a waste product your body makes when it breaks down purines, found in your own cells and in foods such as red meat, offal, seafood and beer. If it builds up, it can form crystals in the joints and cause gout.

10% of men had uric acid above the lab range (above 0.45 mmol/L for men), against 3% of women (above 0.40 mmol/L). Men aged 60 and over were highest, at 14%.

A high uric acid result without symptoms is not gout, and it isn't usually treated with medicine on its own. It is worth knowing about, because weight, alcohol, sugary drinks and some medicines all push it up. See the uric acid test page for more.

3. Total testosterone held steady. Free testosterone fell.

Total testosterone barely changed with age in our members. The typical (median) result was between 16.6 and 18.8 nmol/L in every age group, and 6% to 9% of men were below the range printed on their own lab report.

Free testosterone told a different story. This is the small share of testosterone that isn't bound to proteins in the blood. The median fell from 397 pmol/L in men in their 20s to 292 pmol/L at 60 and over, about a quarter lower. The share below the range on their own lab report rose from 7% of men in their 20s to 11% or 12% from 50 onwards.

The reason is a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). It holds on to testosterone, and it rises with age. In our members, median SHBG went from 31 nmol/L in men in their 20s to 40 nmol/L at 60 and over. A large UK Biobank study that followed men aged 40 to 69 found the same pattern: total testosterone stable, SHBG up and free testosterone down.

A low free testosterone result is not a diagnosis of low testosterone. Testosterone is highest in the morning, so the test is done before 10am, and a low result needs repeating on another morning before anyone acts on it. Sleep, stress, alcohol, weight, training load and medicines all affect it. Our testosterone levels in men by age guide has the full table for total testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG.

4. More men tested biologically older than their age

PhenoAge is a biological age worked out from nine routine blood markers and your age. It was developed by Morgan Levine and colleagues in 2018. Most Vively members tested younger than their calendar age, which partly reflects who chooses to test.

Still, a gap opened with age. At 50 and over, 15% of men had a PhenoAge above their calendar age, against 6% of women. For men aged 60 and over it was 16%.

PhenoAge is an estimate, and one marker running high on the day can move it. It is most useful for tracking your own trend over time. Try the biological age calculator if you have your results, or see the biological age test page.

5. Short sleep is more common in men

Among members who connected a wearable, 44% of men in their 40s and 44% in their 50s averaged under 7 hours asleep a night. For women in their 50s it was 30%. The Sleep Health Foundation says most adults need 7 to 9 hours.

Wearables estimate sleep from movement and heart rate, so treat the hours as a guide. You can compare your own numbers with our sleep by age tool.

What our data can't tell you

• One test each. We used each member's first result. Several of these markers, testosterone in particular, need a repeat test before anyone acts on them.
• Lab ranges differ. For testosterone we compared each result with the range printed on that man's own lab report. For the other markers we used typical Australian lab ranges, so read your result against the range on your report.
• Smaller groups for some markers. Between 62 and 251 men per age group had testosterone results, so treat those shares as approximate.
• Our members chose to test. These numbers describe Vively members, not all Australian men.

When to see your GP

See your GP if a result is well outside the lab range, if ALT stays high on a repeat test, or if you have symptoms such as a hot, swollen and painful joint, or low sex drive, erectile problems and tiredness that don't go away. Men's health organisation Healthy Male has a clear guide to testosterone deficiency and when to get help.

How Vively can help

The Baseline Health Check includes ALT and the other liver enzymes, cholesterol, HbA1c, fasting insulin and your biological age. Uric acid, testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG can be added. A practitioner goes through the results with you and builds a plan, and you re-test every 3 months to see what changed. Women's cholesterol catches up with men's after 50: our post on cholesterol after menopause shows the other side of that story.

Frequently asked questions

What blood tests should men get?

A broad check usually covers cholesterol, blood sugar (fasting glucose and HbA1c), liver and kidney function, and a full blood count. Our member data suggests fasting insulin, uric acid and, if you have symptoms, testosterone with SHBG are also worth asking about. Your GP can advise based on your age and family history.

Does testosterone drop with age?

Total testosterone changes little in healthy men. In our members, the median stayed between 16.6 and 18.8 nmol/L at every age. Free testosterone does fall, because SHBG rises with age: the median went from 397 pmol/L in men in their 20s to 292 pmol/L at 60 and over.

Why is ALT higher in men?

Men have higher ALT on average, and the typical lab range is set higher for men (up to 40 U/L, against 35 U/L for women). Even so, 22% of our male members were above their range, against 8% of women. Fat in the liver and alcohol are common reasons for a raised result.

What is a normal uric acid level for a man?

A typical lab range for men is about 0.20 to 0.45 mmol/L, though labs set their own. Among Vively members, the median for men was 0.35 mmol/L, and 10% were above 0.45.

Sources

1. Vively: how we collect and publish member data.
2. Marriott RJ and colleagues. Longitudinal changes in serum testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin in men aged 40 to 69 years from the UK Biobank. Clinical Endocrinology, 2021.
3. Levine ME and colleagues. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging, 2018.
4. Healthdirect: liver function tests.
5. Healthdirect: gout.
6. Healthy Male: testosterone deficiency.
7. Sleep Health Foundation: how much sleep do you really need?