Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients with High BMI Tend to Have Functional Disorders of Androgen Excess: A Prospective Study

In a 2016 prospective study involving 125 patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and 130 controls, it was found that PCOS patients with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) were more likely to have functional disorders of androgen excess, indicating hyperandrogenism. The study did not find a significant difference in the prevalence of acne and hirsutism between hyperandrogenic and non-hyperandrogenic subgroups, but those with signs of hyperandrogenism had significantly higher BMI. The study concluded that BMI is a more sensitive diagnostic criterion of clinical/biomedical hyperandrogenism in PCOS than total testosterone, suggesting the importance of weight management in PCOS patients with signs of androgen excess. The study's limitations included the sample size and the sensitivity of the evaluation method.