Long-Term Study of Female Metabolic Health and Androgens in Ireland Tracking Androgen Levels and Risk of Metabolic Disease in Women 18 and Older

What this Trial Is About

This research focuses on understanding the role of androgen hormones in womens metabolic health, especially related to polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS and type 2 diabetes risk. It highlights a new class of androgens called 11-oxygenated androgens, which may influence metabolism and glucose regulation in women across their lifespan. The study aims to explore how these androgens correlate with insulin resistance and metabolic disease in women, including those without a confirmed PCOS diagnosis. Participants will undergo detailed assessments including a clinical questionnaire, physical measurements like height, weight, and body composition using a portable device, and blood pressure readings. Blood, urine, and saliva samples will be collected to analyze steroid hormones and metabolites using advanced laboratory techniques. Muscle biopsies will be taken to study gene activity related to metabolism. The study includes follow-up visits at 3, 5, and 10 years to monitor changes over time. Women in the study will complete quality of life questionnaires and provide samples for extensive metabolic and steroid hormone profiling. Researchers will assess blood sugar, insulin, lipids, kidney and liver function, and hormone levels. Muscle tissue samples will help understand metabolic processes at a cellular level. The main goal is to correlate hormone profiles with metabolic health and cardiovascular risk over three years, with longer-term aims to develop diabetes risk prediction models and build a comprehensive study database.

FEmale Metabolic Risk and Androgens: an Irish Longitudinal (FEMAIL) Study