The goal of the study was to compare cardiovascular heart disease risk factors in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and matched control subjects. Women with PCOS have risk factors, including anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance, that suggest a male coronary heart disease risk-factor profile. A total of 206 women with PCOS were recruited by using records from a large reproductive endocrinology practice. A clinical diagnosis of PCOS was made if there was a history of chronic anovulation in association with either clinical evidence of androgen excess (hirsutism) or if total testosterone level was >2 nm/L or the luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio was greater than 2. The overall response rate for cases was 76%. A control population was obtained by using a combination of area voters' registration tapes and directories of households. A control subject was matched to each case subject by age+/-5 years, race, and neighborhood. The response rate for recruitment of the first or second eligible control subject was 83.6%. The average age at initial interview was 35.9+/-7.4 years for case and 37.2+/-7.8 years for control subjects. Women with PCOS had significantly increased cardiovascular disease risk factors compared with control women. These included increases in body mass index, insulin, and triglyceride levels (P<.001), decreased total HDL and HDL(2) levels (P<.01), and increased total cholesterol and fasting LDL levels, waist/hip ratio, and systolic blood pressure (P<.05). After controlling for age, body mass index, and other confounding variables, differences in total cholesterol, total HDL, HDL(2), LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were still significant between case and control subjects. These risk factors were especially elevated in PCOS women in the early premenopausal years compared with control women, indicating that women with PCOS should be monitored for early detection and considered for appropriate clinical interventions.
