Acne Severity and the Global Acne Grading System in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
August 2013
in “
International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics
”
TLDR Acne severity in women with PCOS is linked to younger age, lower body weight, and more body hair, but not to hormone levels.
The study evaluated the relationship between acne severity, as measured by the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), and various clinical and laboratory markers of androgen excess in 133 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It found that higher GAGS scores were significantly associated with younger age, lower BMI, and higher hirsutism scores, but not with androgen hormone levels or other measured parameters. Alopecia was associated with an increased waist/hip ratio but not with acne severity or androgen levels. The study suggests that GAGS may be useful for assessing acne in obese or hirsute PCOS patients and highlights the need for further research to understand the clinical significance of acne lesions in PCOS.