Non-obese women with PCOS had significantly higher atherogenic lipid and insulin resistance indices than healthy controls (P<0.05).
Do atherogenic lipid and insulin resistance indices differ between non-obese women with PCOS and healthy controls?
Non-obese women with PCOS exhibit an elevated atherogenic burden and insulin resistance compared to healthy controls, suggesting PCOS independently contributes to cardiovascular risk beyond obesity.
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Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk due to metabolic derangements. Although obesity contributes to CVD, the independent contribution of PCOS remains controversial. This study aimed to compare insulin resistance (IR) and atherogenic lipid indices across body mass index (BMI) categories within PCOS, to evaluate the diagnostic performance of atherogenic indices between non-obese PCOS and healthy controls, and to derive exploratory, data-driven thresholds that may inform cardiovascular risk assessment in non-obese PCOS. Methods: This single-center case-control study enrolled 65 treatment-naïve women newly diagnosed with PCOS (Rotterdam criteria 2003) and 100 age-matched healthy controls. A panel of IR and composite atherogenic lipid indices (e.g., Lipid Accumulation Product LAP, Visceral Adiposity Index VAI, Triglyceride-Glucose TyG Index) was compared between groups. Results: Within PCOS, atherogenic lipid indices were similar in obese versus non-obese subgroups. Non-obese PCOS demonstrated significantly higher atherogenic lipid and IR indices compared to controls (all P0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified LAP (Area under the curve AUC =0.747, 95% confidence intervals CI: 0.647-0.844, threshold=18.05), VAI (AUC=0.707, 95% CI: 0.605-0.811, threshold=1.15), and TyG (AUC=0.701, 95% CI: 0.583-0.814, threshold=8.29) as the three best indices distinguishing non-obese PCOS from healthy controls. Conclusions: Elevated atherogenic lipid and IR indices in non-obese PCOS compared to non-obese controls, alongside similar atherogenic markers between obese and non-obese PCOS groups are consistent with the notion that PCOS may independently contribute to atherogenesis beyond obesity-related mechanisms. In this exploratory analysis, data-driven thresholds for LAP, VAI and TyG were identified in non-obese PCOS. These values require external validation in larger, multi-center cohorts before they can be considered for routine CVD risk screening or monitoring.
Andaç et al. (Mon,) reported a other. Non-obese women with PCOS had significantly higher atherogenic lipid and insulin resistance indices than healthy controls (P<0.05).