Association of Homocysteine with Body Mass Index in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objectives: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder that significantly impacts women. It is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, the exact interplay between serum homocysteine levels and body mass index (BMI) in PCOS patients remains incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated homocysteine levels in normal-weight and overweight/obese Iranian women with and without PCOS. Methods: A total of 189 women with PCOS and 86 healthy fertile women were enrolled in the study. The patients and controls were divided according to BMI into two groups as follows: BMI < 25 kg/m² and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². Blood samples were collected from all participants to assess fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, lipid profile, free testosterone, and homocysteine levels. Results: BMI, HOMA-IR, fasting insulin, total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and free testosterone levels were significantly elevated in the PCOS group compared with controls. Homocysteine levels were increased in both overweight/obese and normal- weight PCOS groups compared with controls. However, no significant difference was observed in homocysteine levels between overweight/obese and normal-weight PCOS groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that homocysteine levels were notably elevated in women with PCOS, regardless of their BMI