Reproductive Endocrinology · Thyroid and Metabolic Function

Common clinical laboratory features among women with polycystic ovary syndrome and metabolic syndrome

Artyomenko V, Velychko V, Lahoda D, Danylchuk H

Published August 2023 Journal of medicine and life
DOI 10.25122/jml-2023-0057 PMID 38024815 PMC PMC10652679
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RRM Academy Synopsis

Metabolic syndrome in 78 of 122 women with obesity, 24 with PCOS

In this clinic study, 78 of 122 women with obesity had metabolic syndrome, and 24 of those 78 also had PCOS. The study looked at 122 women aged 18 to 40 with regular cycles, seen by family medicine and general practice doctors. PCOS is now also called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

Key Findings

  • Of 122 women with obesity, 78 had metabolic syndrome and 44 had obesity without metabolic syndrome.
  • Among the 78 women with metabolic syndrome, 24 (30.76%) also had PCOS. Six of the 44 women without metabolic syndrome (13.63%) had PCOS.
  • Among the 24 women with PCOS and metabolic syndrome, 75% (n=18) had three metabolic syndrome components and 25% (n=6) had four.
  • Of the women with PCOS and metabolic syndrome, 70.83% had low HDL cholesterol and 54.17% had high triglycerides.
  • Insulin resistance appeared in 50% of women with PCOS and metabolic syndrome and in 46.15% of women with metabolic syndrome.

Interpretation

The study is a single-group observational report. It describes which conditions occurred together and cannot show that PCOS or obesity caused metabolic syndrome. All 122 women had obesity, so the results say nothing about women of other weights, and no comparison group without obesity was included. Women taking medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes were excluded. The PCOS group was small: 24 women with metabolic syndrome and six without. The authors write that a cause-and-effect link between insulin resistance and PCOS remains unclear. They call for screening guidelines to detect metabolic syndrome early in women with PCOS.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine looks for the underlying cause of ovulation problems, and metabolic health belongs in that search. The 2026 renaming of PCOS to PMOS puts the metabolic side in the name. A cycle chart records ovulation, which clinicians can read alongside the insulin resistance, blood fat and blood pressure markers this paper reports.

Abstract

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), with rates up to 33%. This is associated with long-term consequences such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancer, sleep apnea, and psychological issues. The prevalence of MS worldwide is often associated with obesity and T2DM, yet regional variations are reported. In this study, 122 women consulting general practice and family medicine physicians were evaluated, revealing a BMI exceeding 30 kg/m2. Among MS criteria, the most common diagnoses were T2DM in 29 patients, insulin resistance (IR) in 36, arterial hypertension (AH) in 51, reduced HDL levels in 53, and elevated triglycerides in 39. Further analysis revealed 16 unique combinations of MS components in these patients, with 75% of PCOS cases exhibiting three MS components and 25% having four. Additionally, research indicated that most women with PCOS face persistent, treatment-resistant obesity, with a notably higher BMI (ρ=0.87; r=0.76). These findings highlight the multifactorial nature of PCOS and MS etiology.

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Reproductive Endocrinology › Thyroid and Metabolic Function › Insulin and Metabolism · PMOS / PCOS › Long Term Health › Metabolic Risk
Volodymyr Artyomenko, Valentyna Velychko, Daria Lahoda, Halyna Danylchuk
V Artyomenko, V Velychko, D Lahoda, H Danylchuk
PMID 38024815 38024815 DOI 10.25122/jml-2023-0057 10.25122/jml-2023-0057 Artyomenko et al. 2023, Artyomenko 2023