Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To evaluate the long term risk for diabetes and insulin resistance in untreated and oral contraceptive (OC) treated hirsute patients.

Design: Cross sectional study.

Setting: Academic tertiary-care medical centre.

Patients: Of 233 Caucasian hirsute women were evaluated during 1997–2002 (baseline) and re-contacted in 2003–2004. Of 159 patients returned questionnaires and 69 attended clinical examinations.

Interventions: Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Main outcome measures: Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), hirsutism.

Results: The median follow-up period was (median (range)) 4 (2–7) years. Evaluated by questionnaires, 91/130 (70%) patients had terminated OC treatment at follow-up. OC treatment significantly improved hirsutism. Cosmetic treatment compared to no cosmetic treatment had no significant long-term effects on hirsutism.

During clinical examinations (n=69), BMI was 24.9 (22.4–29.0) kg/m² and total Ferriman–Gallwey score was 10 (7–15) (median (25–75 quartile)). Medically untreated patients (47/69) had increased fasting and 2 h glucose levels compared to baseline, whereas BMI was unchanged. Of 4/47 (8.5%) untreated patients developed diabetes and 5/47 (10.6%) developed IGT. OC treated patients had significantly decreased AUC insulin during follow up, whereas HDL and AUC glucose increased.

Conclusion: Of 8.5% untreated patients developed diabetes during follow-up, suggesting a high diabetes risk in hirsutism. OC treatment improved hirsutism.