Distinctive Features of Steroid Hormone Metabolism in Female Patients with Androgenic Alopecia
June 2013
in “
Vestnik dermatologii i venerologii
”
TLDR Women with hair thinning have disrupted steroid hormone levels, but this doesn't often show as other health issues. More research is needed on hormone balance in this condition.
The 2013 study "Distinctive features of steroid hormone metabolism in female patients with androgenic alopecia" involved 87 women with hair thinning and a control group of 30 healthy women. The study found significant disruptions in the secretion of steroid hormones in women with androgenic alopecia. Specifically, there was an increase in the blood level of dihydrotestosterone (44.8% of patients), the index of free androgens, and the concentration of free testosterone in saliva. There was also a decrease in the level of sex hormone-binding globulin in the blood. Despite these hormonal imbalances, 82.8% of the patients had regular menstrual cycles and only 10.3% had polycystic ovary syndrome. The study concluded that endocrine disorders were not frequently clinically manifested in these patients and recommended further investigation into the role of estrogen-androgen balance in the disease and the use of non-steroidal anti-androgens.
