Contributors: Juan Pablo Del Río, Hugo Soto, Patricio Contreras, Álvaro Becerra, Camila Contreras-Rojo, Manuel E. Cortés, Pilar Vigil
Summary: Irregular menstrual cycles are common in adolescents and young women and are frequently the first sign of an underlying hormonal imbalance. In this study, 251 Chilean women aged 12 to 35 years who presented with ovulatory dysfunction at a reproductive health clinic in Santiago were evaluated for four hormonal conditions: excess androgens (hyperandrogenemia), impaired ability to regulate blood glucose (insulin resistance), thyroid gland abnormalities, and elevated prolactin. All four conditions were already present during adolescence at frequencies comparable to those in young adult women. Excess androgens affected approximately half of all participants, while insulin resistance was more frequent in adolescents than in adults. Thyroid and prolactin abnormalities occurred at similar frequencies in both age groups. These results support the value of systematic hormonal evaluation in young women with menstrual irregularities from the time ovulation is expected to be physiologically established. Early identification may facilitate appropriate endocrine evaluation and help prevent long-term reproductive and cardiometabolic complications.
