Objective To determine the relationship between increased body hair growth in women and serum sex hormone level, body mass index, and clinical signs. Sample and methods The sample group consisted of 186 women, 18–35 year old residents of Lithuania who were referred to the Clinic of Endocrinology, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in 2002–2004 and complained for increased body hair growth. Exclusion criteria: 1) taking systemic medications within the period shorter than three months before the beginning of the study; 2) specific reasons of excessive body hair growth, such as androgen secreting adrenal or ovarian tumors, hyperprolactinemia, Cushing syndrome; 3) thyroid dysfunction. A total number of 37 women were excluded from further study. Statistical analysis was performed on 149 women. Increased body hair growth was assessed using Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) method. Blood samples were drawn in the morning (08:00–10:00 h), in the early follicular phase, with an exclusion of 7 women with amenorrhea, while the blood sample of 12 women with oligomenorrhea was drawn following at least 2 months after the last menstruation. Serum hormones (total testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) level were measured using the commercial kits. FAI was calculated as follows: T (nmol/l) × 100/ SHBG (nmol/l). Results The significance of correlations between the F-G score and the tested variables decreased in the... [to full text]