A Comparative Study of Cutaneous Manifestations of Hyperandrogenism in Obese and Non-Obese Taiwanese Women
April 2010
in “
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics
”
Studysummary This study found that obese Taiwanese women had a lower incidence of acne than non-obese women, despite having higher serum testosterone levels. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
In a study involving 627 Taiwanese women of reproductive age, researchers found that obese women had higher serum total testosterone levels but a lower incidence of acne compared to non-obese women. This was true for both groups with and without hyperandrogenemia. However, the prevalence of hirsutism did not differ significantly between obese and non-obese women. The study, which included 417 non-hyperandrogenemia cases and 210 hyperandrogenemia cases, with 105 obese and 312 non-obese women, suggests that obesity may affect the clinical presentation of hyperandrogenism, specifically by reducing the prevalence of acne but not affecting hirsutism, despite higher androgen levels.
