Is the Androgen Deficiency of Aging Men (ADAM) questionnaire useful for the screening of partial androgenic deficiency of aging men?

Abstract

Background: Androgen serum levels significantly decrease in older men, causing quality of life impairment and increasing the risk of chronic disease. This disorder is defined as PADAM (Partial Androgen Deficiency of Aging Men). Objective: To evaluate a PADAM screening tool and determine the prevalence of this disorder in healthy adult men. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 96 men aged 40 or more of the South Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile were surveyed with the Androgen Deficiency of Aging Men (ADAM) questionnaire of the Saint Louis University and sampled for the serum determination of total testosterone, sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. Also free and bioavailable testosterone were calculated. PADAM was considered present if items 1 or 7 or any 3 other questions of the ADAM questionnaire were positive. An available testosterone of <198.4 ng/dL was used as a gold standard for the diagnosis of PADAM. Results: A total of 78 men (81.3%) were id