Abstract
Female patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM 1) frequently present with disorders of the menstrual cycle, among which are polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and ovarial hyperandrogenism. We found PCOS corresponding to Rotterdam criteria in 24 % of 21 patients presenting with DM 1.
This corresponds to data found by others. Laboratory hyperandrogenism was found in 38 % out of these 21 patients.
This represents the upper frequency limit for this disease. In spite of the small number of patients, we found that there are significant differences in relationships between parameters of glycoregulation and androgens.
Increased level of adrenal androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) was related to lower levels of insulin dose (IU/kg/day) and to lower levels of glycaemia. On the contrary, an increase of testosterone, and its free fraction, was related to higher glycaemia and to high glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the group of patients with isolated laboratory hyperandrogenemia.
These findings have been scarcely reported and our findings show that PCOS and hyperandrogenemia in female patients with DM 1 have a strong impact on metabolic control of diabetes mellitus.