Is There Any Association Between Clinical and Biochemical Hyperandrogenism in Women With Female Pattern Hair Loss?

November 2020 in “ Cureus ”

Samih A Odhaib, Khalil Al Hamdi, Abbas Ali Mansour

clinical hyperandrogenism biochemical hyperandrogenism female pattern hair loss hirsutism acne total testosterone free testosterone bioavailable testosterone sex hormone-binding globulin SHBG BMI FPHL body mass index

Studysummary This study found that severity of female pattern hair loss in premenopausal women was related to other clinical signs of hyperandrogenism like hirsutism and acne, but not to biochemical measures of hyperandrogenism.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The study investigated the association between clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism (HA) in 362 premenopausal women with female pattern hair loss (FPHL). It found that while clinical signs of HA, such as hirsutism and acne, were related to FPHL severity, biochemical markers of HA (like total testosterone, free testosterone, and bioavailable testosterone) were not. Most women had mild FPHL and were overweight or obese. Despite 52% showing biochemical HA, no significant relationship was found between these biochemical parameters and FPHL severity. Other factors like sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and BMI also showed no significant correlation with FPHL severity.

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