Androgen Profile Through Life in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Nordic Multicenter Collaboration Study

    July 2015 in “ The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism ”
    Pekka Pinola, Terhi Piltonen, Johanna Puurunen, Eszter Vanky, Inger Sundström-Poromaa, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Aimo Ruokonen, Katri Puukka, Juha S. Tapanainen, Laure Morin-Papunen
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    TLDR Women with PCOS have higher androgen levels that decrease with age but are still higher than in women without PCOS.
    In a study of 681 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 230 referent women, researchers found that androgen levels in women with PCOS decreased with age but remained elevated compared to referent women, even after menopause. The study identified calculated free testosterone (cFT), free androgen index (FAI), and androstenedione (A4) as the best predictive factors for PCOS, with cFT having the highest odds ratio (OR = 7.90) for women under 40 years old. The study concluded that these parameters could be used as diagnostic tools for PCOS across all ages, with cFT being particularly accurate for women under 40 when measured using LC-MS/MS. The study also noted a decrease in oligo-amenorrhea with age in the PCOS group, suggesting more regular menstrual cycles over time. The research was adjusted for BMI differences and highlighted the use of LC-MS for testosterone assay as a strength, but acknowledged its cross-sectional design and the smaller number of referent women as limitations.
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