Androgenic Hormone Profile of Adult Women With Acne
abstract
This abstract is available on the publisher's site.
Access this abstract nowAcne in adult women is a hard-to-manage frequent disease with many relapse cases. It mostly interferes with quality of life and causes major social and metabolic losses for patients. This is a transversal retrospective study and the aim was to standardize the research on circulating androgenic hormone levels and to detect hyperandrogenic states early, showing the frequency and the pattern of the altered hormones, useful resources to correctly evaluate each patient. In this study 835 women above 15 years of age, with acne or aggravation cases, were analyzed. The aim was to verify the percentage of androgen examinations with levels above normal. The levels of the hormones dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydrotestosterone, androstenedione and total testosterone were measured in all patients. The evaluation of the hormone profile showed that 54.56% of the patients had hyperandrogenism, and the levels of DHEA were most frequently elevated. Therefore, in the face of the importance of hyperandrogenism in the pathogenesis of acne, standardizing the research of the hormone profile is paramount for the treatment and control of relapses in case of a surge of acne breakouts during a woman's adult life.
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Androgenic Hormone Profile of Adult Women With Acne
Dermatology (Basel) 2013 May 16;226(2)167-171, MG da Cunha, FL Fonseca, CD MachadoFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Adult acne in the female patient can be difficult to treat and quite disheartening for the patient. Often, multiple modalities of treatment, including over-the-counter medications, prescription topical and oral antibiotics, retinols, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and many other interventions are used with mixed success. Continuous treatment is usually needed to sustain any positive effects.
Gonzaga da Cunha et al highlight the role that androgens play in adult acne and raise the consideration of reviewing the patient’s hormone profile. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) appears to be the most notable androgen at play in female adult acne.
The studies are still early and do require more research; however, in primary care, hyperandrogenism should be considered in the treatment decisions for adult acne. It may be worthwhile to evaluate androgen hormone levels, particularly in patients with other signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism and/or resistant acne. As more research unfolds, we may anticipate targeted antiandrogenic options to add to the arsenal of female adult acne treatments.