| James Michael Howard 2006-10-14, 4:27 pm |
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Am J Hum Biol. 2006 Oct 12;18(6):841-844 [Epub ahead of print]
Menstrual cycle irregularities are associated with testosterone levels in
healthy premenopausal women.
Van Anders SM, Watson NV.
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British
Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
High androgen levels have been associated with menstrual irregularities in
clinical populations, but not in healthy women. We examined the association
between testosterone and menstrual irregularities in a nonclinical
population of 194 healthy premenopausal women, none of whom reported
chronic health conditions. Women provided saliva samples for assay of
salivary testosterone, and responded to questions about length of menstrual
cycles, variability in menses, and retrospective history of menstrual
irregularity. Results showed significant correlations between testosterone
and menstrual irregularities, even when women with the most irregular
cycles were excluded from analyses. This pattern was also apparent for a
subgroup of 27 women using hormonal contraceptives. Based on our findings,
it appears that even in healthy women reporting no health concerns,
menstrual irregularities are associated with higher levels of circulating
androgens. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 18:841-844, 2006. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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