Is PCOS a Risk Factor for Metabolic Syndrome?

Despite previous evidence to the contrary, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) might not be associated with a significantly increased risk for metabolic syndrome, according to a recent study.

For their cross-sectional study, the researchers assessed body composition, abdominal fat, and markers of metabolic syndrome among 145 women with PCOS and 344 women without PCOS.
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Compared with women without PCOS, those with PCOS had higher free androgen index. However, women with and without PCOS without obesity had similar body fat content, distribution, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and hepatic triglyceride content. Additionally, women with PCOS and obesity had similar total body fat percentage as women with obesity without PCOS.

While all women with obesity had similar intraperitoneal fat, women with obesity and PCOS had a greater ratio of truncal and lower body fat, greater insulin resistance, higher liver triglyceride content, and incidence of hypertension. However, the researchers did not observe any other differences for other metabolic risk factors.  

“In conclusion, many investigators have proposed that PCOS predisposes to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the results from the present study provide little or no evidence to support the contention that any such association is strongly mediated by PCOS-induced metabolic syndrome.”

“Any occurrence of metabolic syndrome in PCOS women seemingly can be explained more by the global obesity than to a redistribution of body fat.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Boumosleh JM, Grundy SM, Phan J, Neeland IJ, Chang A, Vega GL. Metabolic concomitants of obese and nonobese women with features of polycystic ovarian syndrome. J Endocrine Soc. 2017;1(12): 1417–1427. https://doi.org/10.1210/js.2017-00323.