Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hyperandrogenaemia in adolescence is associated with hirsutism, acne and menstrual irregularity and is considered as an important risk for polycystic ovary syndrome and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to establish if self-reported oligo/amenorrhea were associated with hyperandrogenemia and metabolic disturbances in adolescence.

Subjects and methods: A cross sectional study using postal questionnaire targeting 16 years old girls in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n=4567). Of them, 3237 girls (71%) responded to the questionnaire and attended a clinical examination. After excluding pregnant girls, girls taking oral contraceptives or other hormonal treatment, and the subjects with missing data, 2448 girls were included in the analyses.

Results: Seven hundred and fifteen girls reported oligo-/amenorrea (symptomatic girls) and 1753 had regular periods (symptomless girls). Girls with menstrual disorders exhibited significantly higher serum concentrations of testosterone (P=0.010), lower serum levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG, P=0.042) and higher levels of free androgen index (FAI, mean: 3.37 (95% confidence interval, CI: 2.32, 4.42) versus 3.07 (95% CI: 2.04, 4.10), P=0.002). The two groups did not differ as regards body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, serum levels of glucose, insulin and lipids, or insulin sensitivity. There was a significant linear trend towards higher FAI levels in the higher BMI quartiles both in symptomatic and asymptomatic girls. In the whole population there was a statistically significant linear decreasing in high-density lipoprotein concentrations (P<0.001) and higher triglyceride concentrations (P=0.004) in the upper FAI quartile.

Conclusion: Oligo/amenorrhea at the age 16 is a good marker of hyperandrogenaemia. Girls in the highest BMI quartiles exhibited the greatest degree of hyperandrogenaemia, and those in the highest FAI quartile had a more unfavorable lipid profile, thus confirming earlier data on an association between obesity, hyperandrogenism and metabolic risks.