Markers of Hyperandrogenism in South Asians with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
August 2014
in “
Sri Lanka Journal of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism
”
TLDR The FG score is better at detecting hyperandrogenism in PCOS patients than testosterone levels or FAI, but testosterone is the recommended test for diagnosis.
In a study conducted from 2010 to 2013 on 100 women aged 20-45 years in Colombo, Sri Lanka, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the Ferriman-Gallwey score (FG Score), serum total testosterone, and free androgen index (FAI) in assessing hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. The study included 50 cases with PCOS and 50 controls. The results showed that the FG score detected hyperandrogenism in PCOS patients more frequently than serum testosterone and FAI. However, total testosterone had a greater diagnostic power than FAI in confirming hyperandrogenism, suggesting it as the recommended biochemical test in the diagnostic work up of PCOS. The study also found a higher detection rate in controls when FAI was used as the indicator, suggesting a possible influence from changes in SHBG concentration.