title: Oral contraceptive pills, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, or use in combination for treatment of hirsutism: a clinical research center study.
abstract: The effectiveness of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), GnRH agonist (GnRH-a), and a combination of OCPs and GnRH-a in the treatment of hirsute women was compared and the impact of these treatments on hormonal and Ca metabolism was investigated. Thirty-three women were prospectively enrolled and randomized into three treatment groups (11 in each group). The serum levels of LH, estradiol, testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone declined in all 3 treatment groups, whereas the inclusion of GnRH-a treatment tended to promote a more rapid decrease in these hormone levels. Total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, and high density lipoprotein levels remained unchanged. The assessment of hirsutism by the Ferriman-Gallwey score revealed a similar 25% reduction in score by all three treatment groups by 6 months. In addition, no difference was detected between groups with respect to hair diameters and the vellus index. Clinical assessment of hirsutism at 3 months by the patients revealed that the GnRH-a and the OCPs-plus-GnRH-a groups had better responses than the group on OCPs alone, but by 6 months all three groups were similar. The symptoms of hot flashes and vaginal dryness were greatest in subjects treated with GnRH-a alone. Serum Ca, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and 2-h fasting and 24-h urinary Ca excretion levels all increased significantly in subjects treated with the GnRH-a alone, whereas a decrement or no changes occurred for these measurement in the other two groups. The estimated Ca balance was unchanged in the OCPs and the OCPs-plus-GnRH-a groups but declined by 90 mg/day from baseline in the GnRH-a-treated women (p < or = 0.001). Bone density significantly decreased in the lumber spine in women treated with GnRH-a alone, with a less marked decline in the femoral neck. In contrast, women receiving OCPs plus GnRH had increased bone density in the lumbar spine. It is concluded that: 1) clinical measures of hirsutism are not different after 6 months of treatment with OCPs alone, GnRH-a alone, or a combination of the two; 2) the decline in gonadotropins and steroid hormones and improvement in clinical response were more rapid and pronounced when GnRH-a treatment was added to OCP administration; and 3) the negative impact of GnRH-a alone on Ca balance and bone loss limits its usefulness as a single agent for long-term therapy of hirsutism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9032, USA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Breslau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Givens
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnett-Hamm
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Marshburn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists*; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000097:blood; D006197:Hair / Q000254:growth & development; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006062:Gonadotropins; D008055:Lipids; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D002118:Calcium