Hirsutism and Body Mass Index in a Representative Sample of Iranian People



Fateminaeini F¹ ; Najafian J^{2, 3} ; Jazabi N⁴ ; Nilforoushzadeh MA² Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Isfahan Medical School Published:2014

Abstract

Background: Hirsutism is the condition of excessive terminal hair growth in women with a typical male pattern distribution. Hirsutism is a common disorder that affects about 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Adipose tissue contributes up to 50% of the circulating testosterone in premenopausal women because of excessive androgen production in fat tissue. Therefore, it seems that hirsutism must be more common in people with simple obesity but controversy exists regarding this subject. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between body mass index (BMI) and hirsutism in a representative sample of Iranian woman. Methods: This cross-sectional case-control clinical trial study involved 800 individuals, 400 hirsute and 400 healthy women. The mean age of the participants was 28.0 ± 6.2 years. Hirsutism was determined by the Ferriman-Gallwey scoring system. Height and weight were measured by a Seca scale, body mass index was calculated as weight/height2 (kg/m2), and collected data were analyzed using t and chi-square statistical tests. Findings: There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age and height. However, body mass index and weight were significantly higher in the case group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In the current study, hirsutism was more common in patients with a higher body mass index. The increased frequency of hirsutism in overweight women could be explained by increased insulin resistance and more androgen production by adipose tissue.