Association of Hyperandrogenemic and Metabolic Phenotype with Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Young Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and endogenous androgens in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome in Taiwan

“…Two previous studies demonstrated that women with PCOS had a higher CIMT than controls when they were above 40-45 years old [3,10]. In three other studies, a higher CIMT was also found in PCOS women <35 years of age [9,11,19]. Although PCOS cases at an older age appear to be more likely to have higher CIMT than controls, this difference was also seen in younger subjects in the previous studies assessing Caucasian subjects.…”

“…This may invalidate our conclusion that young Taiwanese-Chinese women with PCOS do not have an increased CIMT. However, the choice of the control group used in our study was similar to those used in previously published non-Asian studies, and their results appeared to be different from ours [9,11]. Second, it is unclear whether the inverse association between androstenedione and CIMT is related to androstenedione per se or to one of its metabolites (i.e.…”

“…In Caucasian populations, it has been reported that PCOS patients have an increased CIMT, particularly in the middle-aged group [3,[9][10][11]. However, the association between PCOS and CIMT has not yet been studied in the Taiwanese-Chinese population.…”

“…However, the association between PCOS and CIMT has not yet been studied in the Taiwanese-Chinese population. Furthermore, whether the relationship between endogenous androgens and CIMT/atherosclerosis actually exists is still debated [9,[11][12][13][14].…”

The Metabolic Syndrome in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“…Evidence from prospective population studies has determined that the metabolic syndrome is associated with a 2-fold increase in the relative risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease and a 5fold increase in the relative risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with individuals without the metabolic syndrome. 8 Similarly, women with PCOS frequently present with components of the metabolic syndrome and are at increased risk for the development of cardiovascular disease [9][10][11] and type 2 diabetes mellitus. [12][13][14][15] This article reviews current knowledge on the prevalence, predictors, and characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in PCOS as well as evidence for cardiovascular and diabetes risk in PCOS.…”