Читать книгу The Ultimate PCOS Handbook - Theresa Cheung - Страница 11

The normal blood testosterone level in women should be around 0.5–3.5 nmol per litre (a small measure of a substance in a solution); in men usually 15–30 nmol per litre. Women with PCOS tend to have a testosterone level of 2.5–5.0 nmol per litre. If the level goes higher than 5.0 nmol then other problems such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia and ovarian tumours need to be ruled out.

Mild testosterone excess in women can cause symptoms such as acne, hirsutism and alopecia (thinning hair on the head) and these symptoms are often called androgenization or hyperandrogenism. It’s important to point out, though, that testosterone levels in women with PCOS don’t usually get so high as to cause a condition called virilization, which is when the voice gets deeper, breasts shrink and the clitoris enlarges.