Association of diet with hirsutism in females of reproductive age

Causes of hirsutism range from minor illnesses like fever, nausea, headache to severe conditions like adrenal hyperplasia and polycystic ovarian syndrome while, in some cases the cause remains obscure and dietary factors are placed under this heading. To study the role of dietary factors in causing hirsutism. Department of Dermatology, NHRC, Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex, Lahore from Dec 2008- Dec 2009. Fifty clinically confirmed cases of hirsutism and 50 healthy females aged between 12-20 years were studied. A modified Ferriman-Gallwey [FG] score was used to determine the severity of hirsutism which were graded into 4 grades. Cases with virilism, post menopausal, menopause cushing's syndrome were excluded. Informed consent was obtained from all participants and their demographic data, height and weight and dietary pattern was recorded on specially designed performa. All 50 healthy controls had grade 1 or no hirsutism, while among hirsute females, 10[20%] had grade 2, 28[56%] grade 3 and 12[24%] grade 4 hirsutism. Consumption of red meat and broiler chicken was more in hirsute females whereas, intake of milk and vegetables was more in healthy controls. Dietary habits also appear to play some role in hirsutism in females