TY - JOUR T1 - Oral contraceptive pills, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, or use in combination for treatment of hirsutism: a clinical research center study. AU - Carr,B R, AU - Breslau,N A, AU - Givens,C, AU - Byrd,W, AU - Barnett-Hamm,C, AU - Marshburn,P B, PY - 1995/4/1/pubmed PY - 1995/4/1/medline PY - 1995/4/1/entrez KW - Americas KW - Androgens KW - Biology KW - Comparative Studies KW - Contraception KW - Contraceptive Methods--therapeutic use KW - Developed Countries KW - Diseases KW - Endocrine System KW - Family Planning KW - Gonadotropins KW - Gonadotropins, Chorionic--therapeutic use KW - Hirsutism KW - Hormones KW - North America KW - Northern America KW - Oral Contraceptives--therapeutic use KW - Physiology KW - Research Methodology KW - Research Report KW - Signs And Symptoms KW - Skeletal Effects KW - Studies KW - Treatment KW - United States SP - 1169 EP - 78 JF - The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism JO - J Clin Endocrinol Metab VL - 80 IS - 4 N2 - 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. SN - 0021-972X UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/7714086/Oral_contraceptive_pills_gonadotropin_releasing_hormone_agonists_or_use_in_combination_for_treatment_of_hirsutism:_a_clinical_research_center_study_ L2 - https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-lookup/doi/10.1210/jcem.80.4.7714086 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -