ABSTRACT
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy associated with an increasing
number of cardiovascular comorbidities. The relationship between insulin resistance
and PCOS was described more than 3 decades ago. Women with PCOS also have an increased
prevalence of several established cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension,
and dyslipidemia. These factors contribute to the increased risk of endothelial dysfunction,
increased carotid artery intima media thickness, and coronary artery calcification
noted in women with PCOS compared with controls. Although truncal obesity is very
prevalent in PCOS, these surrogate markers of atherosclerosis have been shown to be
independent of body weight in young, asymptomatic subjects. Metabolic syndrome is
a cluster of risk factors that also confer an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Women with PCOS have also been shown to have a significantly higher prevalence of
metabolic syndrome compared with age-matched controls. Currently, there are no longitudinal
studies confirming increased cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality in women with
PCOS. However, the early presence of traditional and other cardiovascular risk factors
underscores the need to screen and aggressively counsel and treat these women to prevent
future symptomatic cardiovascular disease.
KEYWORDS
Cardiovascular disease - metabolic syndrome - diabetes - hypertension
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Anuja DokrasM.D.
Associate Professor, Penn Fertility Care, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
3701 Market St., Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19104
eMail: ADokras@obgyn.upenn.edu