Obesity, Glycemic and Hormonal Criteria Of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy affecting women, at reproductive age. PCOS is a chronic hyperandrogenic state that has many significant short-term and long-term implications for patients such as oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, infertility, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, increased risk of endometrial cancer, and hirsutism.Objectives: To evaluate the obesity and glycemic criteria among women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Method: A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiryia University; on 50 participants formed the PCOS group and 50 healthy control participants. Data collected about age, age at menarche and BMI. Also, blood samples examined for FPG and 2-h OGTT test carried out for all the participants. Moreover hormonal assessment for the LH, FSH and total testosterone were done for all participants.Results : PCOS group women age and age at menarche were 27.62 ± 5.74 and 12.0 ± 1.06 years; vs. the control group were 25.42 ± 4.94 and 11.64 ± 0.69 years respectively. All PCOS group were experienced signs and symptoms of ovarian dysfunction, and infertility while the control group did not experience any of such evidences. BMI showed significant difference between study groups (t-test (P < 0.05)); 98% of the PCOS group was obese vs. 58% of the control group. The waist/hip ratio showed insignificant difference (t-test (P > 0.05). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) showed insignificant difference between the study groups (t-test (P >0.05); about 18% of the PCOS group was prediabetic (Impaired Fasting Glucose, IFG) (100-125mg/dl) and 6% was diabetic (>126mg/dl) whereas the entire control group was normoglycemic. The OGTT showed significant difference between the study groups (t-test (P < 0.05)); about 22% of the PCOS group was prediabetic (Impaired Glucose Tolerance, IGT) (140-199mg/dl) and 6% was diabetic (>200mg/dl) whereas the entire control group was normoglycemic. PCOS group showed highly significant elevation in the LH level vs. the control group by about four folds (t-test (P < 0.05)). Also, FSH showed similar elevation by about two folds among the PCOS group vs. the control group (t-test (P < 0.05)). Moreover the LH/FSH ratio was elevated by about two folds among the PCOS group vs. the control group (t-test (P < 0.05)). Total serum testosterone of the PCOS group showed significant raise vs. the control group (t-test (P < 0.05)). Whole the PCOS group had A total testosterone level >60 ng/dL and in contrary the entire control group didn't show any elevation >60ng/dl.Conclusion: obesity of android (central) type was frequent and prevalent among PCOS women. About 20-28% of PCOS women was prediabetic or diabetic due to insulin resistance and decreased insulin sensitivity. Hormonal assay of LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio and total testosterone were all significantly elevated by two folds or more among the PCOS women. It is not essential that a woman who had polycystic ovaries by ultrasound to have PCOS.