Defining Hirsutism in Chinese Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
July 2011
in “
Fertility and Sterility
”
TLDR An mFG score of 5 or more indicates above-normal hair growth in Southern Chinese women.
In a cross-sectional study of 2,988 Chinese women aged 20-45, a modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) score of ≥5 was determined to be the cut-off for hirsutism, present in 10% of participants. This threshold was associated with higher incidences of acne, menstrual irregularities, polycystic ovaries, and acanthosis nigricans. The prevalence of hirsutism decreased with age, and a higher body mass index was correlated with increased mFG scores. The study's large sample size and use of cluster analysis to determine the cut-off score strengthened its findings, suggesting that an mFG score of 5 or greater indicates above-normal hair growth in Southern Chinese women.