Complications and challenges associated with polycystic ovary syndrome: current perspectives

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the most common endocrine dysfunction in fertile women and it is considered a heterogeneous and multifaceted disorder, with multiple reproductive and metabolic phenotypes which differently affect the early- and long-term syndrome’s risks. Women with PCOS present an adverse reproductive profile, including a high risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. Patients with PCOS present not only a higher prevalence of classic cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type-2 diabetes mellitus, but also of nonclassic cardiovascular risk factors, including mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Moreover, at the moment, clinical data on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women with PCOS are controversial. Finally, women with PCOS show an increased risk of endometrial cancer compared to non-PCOS healthy women, particularly during premenopausal period. Currently, we are unable to clarify if the increased PCOS early- and long-term risks are totally due to PCOS per se or mostly due to obesity, in particular visceral obesity, that characterized the majority of PCOS patients. In any case, the main endocrine and gynecological scientific societies agree to consider women with PCOS at increased risk of obstetric, cardiometabolic, oncology, and psychological complications throughout life, and it is recommended that these women be accurately assessed with periodic follow-up.

A cross sectional study of polycystic ovarian syndrome among young women in Bhopal, Central India

“…Moreover, because of the association of PCOS with insulin resistance, evidence suggests that women with PCOS are at an increased risk for developing type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and heart disease. 7 The cysts are not harmful but lead to hormone imbalances. 8 Risk factors include obesity, not enough physical exercise, and a family history of someone with the condition during this pubertal transition, several features may be in evolution and thus many findings may be transitory which stabilize later during adolescence.…”

The Effects of Plasma Homocysteine in PCOS Women: A Review

“…whilst the prevalence rate is 10% when using NIH criteria for diagnosis criteria [3] but the prevalence is still unknown in children [2] [4]. Three different criteria have been implemented for the diagnosis of PCOS: the NIH criteria (1990), the Rotterdam criteria (2003) and the Androgen and PCOS society (AE-PCOS) criteria (2006) [5] [6].…”

Incidences of irritable bowel syndrome and its subtypes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

“…Although its etiology has not been fully clarified, genetic and environmental factors have been implicated [15]. Currently, there are three main diagnostic classification systems that have been proposed for the diagnosis of [16], and in a recent study, Enck et al demonstrated that abdominal obesity is a significant risk factor for IBS [18].…”