Plasma androgen levels were determined in women assigned to the following groups: idlopathically hirsute, diabetic, both idiopathkally hirsute and diabetic, and normal. The androgens examined were androstenedione (AD), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone (T), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). We And statistical differences between young (<38 years) and older (≥38 years) controls at confidence levels of p≤ 0.01 for AD, DHT, and T and of p≤ 0.05 for DHEA. The results indicate that peak circulating androgen levels occur prior to age 30-35 years for women. There are no significant differences between the young controls and young idiopathkally hirsute subjects, but a statistical difference exists between older hirsute and older controls for all four androgens (p≤ 0.05).
When a comparison is made among the diabetic, hirsute dia-betk, and older control groups (all groups ≥38 years), the diabetic group is significantly higher than the control in plasma AD (p≤ 0.01) and DHEA (p≤ 0.05). These same two steroids are also higher in the diabetk group than in the hirsute diabetic group (p≤ 0.05), while the latter differs from controls only in testosterone levels (p≤ 0.05). DHT levels are similar for all three groups.
