Determining the time androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin take to return to baseline after discontinuation of oral contraceptives in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled prospective follow-up study (letter)
PubMed 17118366 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.07.1507
What was done
A prospective study followed women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) after discontinuing oral contraceptive pills to measure the time required for androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) to return to baseline levels. Specific sampling protocols and cohort details are omitted from the abstract.
What was found
The abstract reports that all measured androgens and SHBG levels returned to basal values after 8 weeks. No numerical values, baseline concentrations, variance estimates, or participant counts are reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This timeline suggests that clinicians assessing androgen and SHBG levels in patients with suspected PCOS should wait at least 8 weeks after oral contraceptive cessation to obtain baseline measurements.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample size, patient characteristics, specific list of androgens measured, or numerical data. The brief letter format lacks details on assay methods and adherence tracking.
Cited by
- contradicts Oral contraceptive use increases sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in women long-term.