Does Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Increase the Disparity in Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular-Related Health for African-American Women?

ABSTRACT

There have been few formal studies of differences in the phenotype of PCOS among women of African-American ancestry. Generally, African-American women tend to have an adverse cardiovascular risk profile when compared with women of other racial groups. The metabolic syndrome is a clinical disorder that identifies individuals at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Preliminary studies support that both African-American and White women with PCOS have similar prevalences of the metabolic syndrome, suggesting that the diagnosis may not be associated with racial differences in cardiovascular risk factors.

KEYWORDS

Polycystic ovaries - minority women's health - metabolic risk

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