Prevalence of Androgenic Alopecia in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Characterization of Associated Clinical and Biochemical Features
August 2013
in “
Fertility and Sterility
”
TLDR Hair loss is common in women with PCOS and is linked to symptoms like acne and excess hair but not to worse metabolic health.
The document reports on the prevalence of androgenic alopecia (AGA) in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and explores associated clinical and biochemical features. The study included 254 subjects diagnosed with PCOS, of which 56 (22%) had clinical evidence of AGA. It was found that those with PCOS and AGA were more likely to have acne or hirsutism compared to those without AGA. However, there was no significant difference in health self-rating or depression scores between subjects with and without AGA. Additionally, AGA did not correlate with greater biochemical or metabolic abnormalities than PCOS alone, suggesting that AGA in PCOS may be mediated by local androgen levels rather than systemic. The study concludes that AGA is prevalent in PCOS patients and is associated with other clinical manifestations of hyperandrogenism but not with increased metabolic or biochemical risks.