Abstract:

Objective: Hirsutism affects 5–15% of women of reproductive age. Health-related quality of life (HQOL) is a multidimensional assessment of well-being that considers the physical, social, and emotional aspects associated with a specific disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate HQOL in patients diagnosed with idiopathic hirsutism (IH) and compare it with patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was performed on 183 female individuals, consisting of 51 patients diagnosed with idiopathic hirsutism, 76 patients diagnosed with PCOS, and 56 healthy volunteers. Participants with a history of neuropsychiatric disorders, under 18 and over 45 years of age, during pregnancy and lactation, with any chronic disease that could interfere with diag- nostic laboratory tests, and who had previously been treated for IH or PCOS were excluded from the study. Demographic, anthropo- metric, laboratory, and clinical data on the cases were recorded. The Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inven- tory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered in a face-to-face interview by related authors involved in the study. Results: The mean age, level of education, lifestyle, and marital status of all three groups were similar. There were no significant differ- ences in body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference between the groups. Mean modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) scores were similar in the IH and PCOS groups. In the IH patients, the general health and mental health domains of the SF-36 questionnaire scores were sig- nificantly lower than in the control group (p<0.001 and p=0.026, respectively). When the SF-36 questionnaire scores were compared be- tween the IH and PCOS groups, the general health and role emotional domains were significantly lower in the PCOS group (p=0.013 and p<0.001, respectively), and the other domains were similar. All SF-36 questionnaire domains were significantly and negatively correlated with BMI and waist circumference measurements in IH patients. Both BDI and BAI scores were significantly and positively correlated with BMI (r=0.348, p<0.001, and r=0.162, p=0.012, respectively) and waist circumference (r=0.326, p<0.001, and r=0.344, p<0.001, respective- ly). Six out of eight domains of the SF-36 QOL scores were significantly and negatively correlated with the mFG scores. Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with IH have impaired HQOL, similar to patients diagnosed with PCOS. Improving HQOL should be a goal when deciding on a management approach for hirsutism, which is one of the most common reasons for referral to endo- crinology and dermatology outpatient clinics.

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