Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39419927›Full record

ArticleReproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)2025

The Value of Androgen Measures for Diagnosing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in an Unselected Population.

L Pace, N Kummer, M Wallace, R Azziz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

L PaceDept. of Ob/GynHeersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2940-9662
N KummerHeersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
M WallaceHeersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
R AzzizDept. of Ob/GynHeersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. razziz@uabmc.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-3917-0483

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePolycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is diagnosed by a combination of three features: hyperandrogenism (biochemical and/or clinical), ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology, usually detected by ultrasonography. Our study aimed to determine the need for androgen measurements by using hirsutism to establish hyperandrogenism for diagnosing PCOS in a medically unbiased population. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe utilized a pre-existing cohort of unselected (medically unbiased) females aged 18-45 years. All underwent a history and physical, including a modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) hirsutism score. Subjects were categorized clinically as eumenorrheic non-hirsute (CONTROLS), menstrual dysfunction only (OLIGO-ONLY), hirsutism only (HIRSUTE-ONLY), or menstrual dysfunction and hirsutism (OLIGO + HIRSUTE). All subjects underwent measurements of androgens using high-quality assays. CONTROLS established the upper normal limit for androgen levels. We defined PCOS using the NIH 1990 criteria.

resultsOf 462 individuals with complete evaluations, 311 (67.3%) were CONTROLS, 71 (15.4%) were OLIGO-ONLY, 64 (13.9%) were HIRSUTE-ONLY, and 16 (3.5%) were OLIGO + HIRSUTE. Neither HIRSUTE-ONLY nor OLIGO-HIRSUTE women required androgen measures to demonstrate hyperandrogenism. Among OLIGO-ONLY, 19 (26.8%) demonstrated hyperandrogenemia without hirsutism, with White women significantly more likely than Black women to demonstrate this.

conclusionsIn our study of medically unbiased reproductive-aged women using the NIH 1990 criteria for PCOS, only 15.4% of women evaluated (those with menstrual dysfunction only) required androgen measurements. In these women only one-quarter demonstrated hyperandrogenemia. These data provide a strategy to minimize the need for androgen assays, including firstly categorizing subjects by clinical presentation and then assessing circulating androgens in the subgroup with menstrual dysfunction only.

Indexed as

AndrogensHyperandrogenismPolycystic Ovary SyndromeAdolescentAdultBiomarkersCohort StudiesFemaleHirsutismHumansMiddle AgedYoung AdultAndrogensBiomarkersAndrogen excessAndrogensDiagnosisEpidemiologyHyperandrogenismOligomenorrheaPCOSPolycystic ovary syndrome

Identifiers

PMID39419927
PMCPMC11729065

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.