Source: Neurology  |  Posted 9 years ago

The effectiveness of minoxidil compared to cyproterone in treating female alopecia depends on whether or not body mass index is high or if biochemical hyperandrogenism is present, suggests a study from France.

Minoxidil was more effective in the absence of other signs of hyperandrogenism, hyperseborrhoea and menstrual cycle modifications when the body mass index was low and nothing argued in favour of biochemical hyperandrogenism.

But, when other signs were present and when the body mass index was high - factors which pointed to a diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism - cyproterone acetate treatment was more effective, report specialists in Paris.

They noted that although hormone studies had shown the androgen-dependent character of female androgenetic alopecia, there had been few controlled studies of therapies for alopecia in women.

To compare topical minoxidil and cyproterone acetate in the treatment of this condition, the specialists randomised 66 women with female-pattern alopecia into two equal groups for 12 menstrual cycles.

One group received two local applications of topical minoxidil 2.0 percent 2.0 mL/day[^{] -1[}] plus combined oral contraceptive. The other group received cyproterone acetate 52 mg/day[^{] -1[}] plus ethinyl oestradiol 35