The effect of atorvastatin and atorvastatin-ezetimibe combination therapy on androgen production in hyperandrogenic women with elevated cholesterol levels.

Abstract

Statins decreased serum androgen levels in hyperandrogenemic women with polycystic ovary syndrome. No previous study has investigated whether this effect is dose-dependent and observed in patients simultaneously treated with other hypolipidemic agents. The study included 23 premenopausal women with elevated total testosterone levels coexisting with hypercholesterolemia, unsuccessfully treated for at least 6 months with atorvastatin (20 mg daily). These patients were then treated with either an increased dose of atorvastatin (40 mg daily, n=11) or atorvastatin (20 mg daily) plus ezetimibe (10 mg daily) (n=12). Plasma lipids, glucose homeostasis markers and serum levels of androgens, sex hormone-binding globulin and gonadotropins were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. Although both treatments decreased plasma levels of total and LDL-cholesterol levels, only high-dose atorvastatin reduced serum levels of total testosterone, free testosterone and androstendione. The effect of high-dose atorvastatin on serum androgen levels did not differ between insulin-resistant and insulin-sensitive subjects. The obtained results suggest that atorvastatin reduces serum androgen levels in a dose-dependent manner and that its administration in a higher dose is associated with a more pronounced effect on serum androgens than combination therapy with low-dose atorvastatin and ezetimibe.