The evaluation of endothelial function and structure in hirsute patients in reproductive age

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the endothelial function and structure in patients with hirsutism in reproductive age.

Study design: The study was conducted on 69 consecutive women admitted with complaints of hirsutism and 63 voluntary healthy women, as controls. A total of 132 subjects who applied to the Gynecology and Infertility Outpatient Clinics were included. Participants with modified Ferriman Gallway (mFG) score over 8 were considered to be hirsute. The demographic, metabolic, hormonal characteristics, risk factors of cardiovascular disease, CIMT (carotis intima media thickness) and FMD (flow-mediated dilatation) were compared between hirsute women and those in the control group. A prospective case-control study was performed.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in CIMT (0,50±0,08 vs 0,52±0,08, p=0.38) and FMD (10,80±6,83 vs 9,57±6,52, p=0.34) values between the study and control groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant correleation between CIMT and FMD values with age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, CRP (C-reactive protein), total cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein), HDL (high density lipoprotein), total testosteron, FAI (free androjen index), androstenedion, SHBG (sex hormone binding globuline), DHEA-S, hirsutism score, sistolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR (homeostatic model of assesment insuline resistance) value.

Conclusion: The effect of the presence of hirsutism on either CIMT and FMD values, among young patients was not significant. Since endothelial dysfunction might became evident after a long period of physio-pathological process, our findings obtained from younger patients may not really show the impact of hirsutism on endothelial function in short term.

Keywords: CIMT; Carotis intima media thickness; Endothelial dysfunction; FMD; Flow mediated dilatation; Hirsutism.