Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Follicle-stimulating hormone is a pituitary hormone that regulates the gonads. It rises sharply in females after menopause.
Unit: mIU/mL · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Hormones · topics: Endocrine
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is released by the pituitary and regulates the ovaries and testes. It is measured here in mIU/mL from the NHANES sex steroid hormone panel. The most prominent population feature is a large rise in female FSH after menopause, so older female age bands sit much higher than younger ones. NHANES recoded FSH values below 0.30 mIU/mL as below the detection limit.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (mIU/mL) | female (mIU/mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 1.2–9.1 (2.8) | 1.5–9.1 (5.3) |
| 30-39 | 1.7–7.9 (3.5) | 2–12.2 (5.5) |
| 40-49 | 1.6–9.2 (4) | 2.4–89 (8.7) |
| 50-59 | 1.8–20.3 (5) | 9–113.1 (63.1) |
| 60-69 | 2.5–21.1 (6) | 20–116.3 (57.8) |
| 70+ | 3.3–43.9 (9.9) | 26.3–117.5 (63) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does female FSH rise so much with age?
As ovarian function declines around menopause, the ovaries produce less estradiol and inhibin, which normally restrain the pituitary. With less restraint, the pituitary releases more FSH, so post-menopausal FSH is substantially higher than pre-menopausal FSH.
What does FSH regulate in males?
In males, FSH supports sperm production by acting on the testes. Male FSH is more stable across adulthood than female FSH, without the menopausal surge.
How does NHANES handle hormone values below the detection limit?
When a result falls below the assay's lower limit of detection, NHANES replaces it with the detection limit divided by the square root of 2. For FSH, values below 0.30 mIU/mL were recoded as below detection and imputed the same way. In groups where many people have low concentrations, the lower percentiles can reflect this imputation rather than distinct measured values.