Hyperandrogenism is associated with earlier age of onset of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in women

Abstract

Purpose: Previous reports have connected between Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), obesity and different hormonal states. The aim of this study was to characterize the endocrine profile in women with IIH.

Methods: This is a data-based study of 51 IIH patients. We measured anthropometric parameters and assessed hormonal profile including cortisol, testosterone, bioavailable testosterone (BT), prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), androstenedione, insulin, aldosterone, estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Pearson or Spearman rank correlation for non-normally distributed variables were calculated to evaluate the relation among the anthropometric measurements: age, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference and waist to hip ratio (WHR) with hormones levels.

Results: Seventy-eight percent of the cohort had WHR < 0.85 and 21.6% had a WHR > 0.85. Increased levels of testosterone, BT and androstenedione were all positively related to younger age of diagnosis in patient who are diagnosed after the age of 25 (R = -1.066, -0.845, -0.735, p < 0.001, =0.024, 0.019, respectively). No correlation was found between any of the analyzed hormones and the duration of the disease, WHR or BMI, except insulin, which was positively related to BMI (R = 0.461, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: Increased levels of circulating androgens are associated with earlier age of onset of IIH in women.