What do systematic reviews say?

Flutamide 250 mg b.i.d. vs placebo

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 60 participants
  Very low

Flutamide 250 mg once to b.i.d. vs spironolactone 100 mg

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 40 participants
  Low

Spironolactone 100 mg vs placebo

Spironolactone 100 mg showed no clear difference in proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 5 [0.7, 35.5]
  1 study · 20 participants
  Low

Ethinyl estradiol 35 μg + cyproterone acetate 2 mg vs ethinyl estradiol 30 μg + desogestrel 0.15 mg

Ethinyl estradiol 35 μg + cyproterone acetate 2 mg showed no clear difference in proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with ethinyl estradiol 30 μg + desogestrel 0.15 mg (moderate certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.41 [0.08, 2.05]
  1 study · 100 participants
  Moderate

Finasteride 5 mg to 7.5 mg vs placebo

It is very uncertain whether finasteride 5 mg to 7.5 mg changes proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with placebo (very low certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.13 [0.48, 2.67]
  3 studies · 67 participants
  Very low

Metformin 500 mg to 2550 mg per day vs placebo

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 63 participants
  Very low

Finasteride 5 mg vs spironolactone 100 mg

Finasteride 5 mg showed no clear difference in proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with spironolactone 100 mg (moderate certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.2 [0.03, 1.41]
  1 study · 20 participants
  Moderate

Flutamide 250 mg once to b.i.d. vs metformin 1275 mg to 1700 mg per day

It is very uncertain whether flutamide 250 mg once to twice daily changes proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with metformin 1275 mg to 1700 mg per day (very low certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 2 [0.41, 9.71]
  1 study · 40 participants
  Very low

Finasteride 5 mg vs flutamide 250 mg once to b.i.d.

It is very uncertain whether finasteride 5 mg changes proportion of participants who reported an adverse event compared with flutamide 250 mg once to b.i.d. (very low certainty).

• Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone) 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 3.87 [0.57, 26.24]
  3 studies · 115 participants
  Very low