Metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: prevalence, characteristics and predictors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as its characteristics and predictors. Seventh-three women, with body mass index of 30.4 +/- 7.8 kg/m2 and 25.0 +/- 6.0 years old, subdivided according to body mass index, were studied retrospectively. There was no significant mean age difference among body mass index groups (p = 0.228). Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 38.4%, with a null prevalence for normal (n = 18), 23.8% for overweight (n = 17), 62.9% for obese (n = 28), and 85.5% for morbidly obese women (n = 7). Women with metabolic syndrome were older than women without metabolic syndrome (27.3 +/- 5.3 vs. 24.2 +/- 4.6 vs. years old; p = 0.031) and presented a higher body mass index (36.3 +/- 7.7 vs. 26.9 +/- 5.4; p < 0.001). There was no difference for degree of hirsutism and menstrual patterns between women with and without metabolic syndrome (p = 0.593 and p = 0.119, respectively). Regarding laboratory parameters, DHEAS was lower (1,646 +/- 1,007 vs. 2,594 +/- 1,563; p = 0.007) and HOMA-IR were higher (9.9 +/- 9.7 vs. 4.6 +/- 4.7; p = 0.004) in women with metabolic syndrome (p = 0.031 and p < 0.001, respectively). The best predictors of metabolic syndrome were waist circumference > 88 cm, HDL-cholesterol < 50 mg/dL and triglycerides >or= 150 mg/dL.