Hyperandrogenism

Excessive androgen secretion from the adrenal cortex, ovaries, or testes is the defining cause. The supplied literature also links hyperandrogenism to polycystic ovary syndrome and adrenocortical hyperfunction. In PCOS, functional ovarian hyperandrogenism and, in a smaller subset, functional adrenal hyperandrogenism are described.

The core mechanism is androgen excess, with overproduction arising from adrenal, ovarian, or testicular sources. In PCOS, the literature describes dysregulation of androgen secretion, including functional ovarian hyperandrogenism and, in some cases, adrenal androgen contribution. Hyperandrogenism is also described as a driver of reproductive and metabolic disturbances in PCOS, including ovulatory dysfunction and insulin resistance.

The supplied grounding supports polycystic ovary syndrome and adrenocortical hyperfunction as associated conditions. In PCOS, obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperandrogenaemia are described as factors that aggravate metabolic dysfunction. The literature also notes that phenotype varies with life stage, genotype, ethnicity, environmental factors, lifestyle, and bodyweight.

The supplied literature supports management at the level of lifestyle modification and complementary or alternative medicines as first-line therapy in many PCOS cases. It also identifies insulin sensitization drugs as a treatment modality for PCOS-related metabolic dysfunction. More broadly, treatment is described in terms of managing hyperandrogenic manifestations and associated reproductive and metabolic complications rather than a single disease-specific drug class.