Predictors of clinical response in hirsute women treated with spironolactone.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the clinical efficacy of low dose spironolactone in hirsute women.

DESIGN:

Retrospective.

SETTING:

Outpatient endocrinology clinic.

PATIENTS:

One hundred nine consecutive women prescribed 75 to 100 mg/d spironolactone for at least 4 months in whom adequate follow-up data were available.

RESULTS:

Hirsutism improved in 72% of the women. Women with regular menses, whether or not they used oral contraceptives (OCs), had the highest response rate to spironolactone (78%), whereas women with irregular menses who did not use an OC had the lowest response rate (55%). Favorable responses were associated with increased severity of hirsutism (P = 0.04) and lower serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels (P = 0.05). Responders and nonresponders did not differ significantly in age (P = 0.10), duration of hirsutism (P = 0.14), pretreatment serum testosterone (T) (P = 0.48), or body mass index (P = 0.11). However, when each parameter was divided into subsets, trends toward decreasing response were observed with increasing age, duration of hirsutism over 15 years, and increasing serum T level.

CONCLUSION:

Low-dose spironolactone improves hirsutism in a majority of hirsute women, irrespective of age, severity or duration of hirsutism, menstrual status, or serum hormone levels.

• Authors: P D Crosby, R S Rittmaster
• Journal: Fertility and sterility (Fertil Steril) Vol. 55 Issue 6 Pg. 1076-81 (Jun 1991) ISSN: 0015-0282 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1828043 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Contraceptives, Oral
• Spironolactone
• Testosterone
• Dehydroepiandrosterone
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Body Mass Index
• Child
• Contraceptives, Oral
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
• Female
• Hirsutism (blood, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Hysterectomy
• Menstrual Cycle (drug effects)
• Middle Aged
• Oligomenorrhea (physiopathology)
• Prognosis
• Retrospective Studies
• Spironolactone (therapeutic use)
• Testosterone (blood)
• Time Factors