Exploring very-short term blood pressure variability in females with polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 1 in 5 females of reproductive age worldwide and is associated with an elevated risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. This increased risk may occur secondary to hypertension, the prevalence of which is greater in females with PCOS than those without. Thus, early detection of hypertension in females with PCOS would improve clinical care for this vulnerable population. Elevations in blood pressure variability (BPV) represent an early marker of subsequent hypertension and end-organ damage. However, to date, BPV in females with PCOS has only been investigated in one study. Objective: To quantify very-short-term (beat-by-beat) BPV in females with PCOS. We hypothesize that established indices of BPV – standard deviation and average real variability – would be higher in females with PCOS who demonstrate no overt markers of cardiovascular risk compared to control females without PCOS (CTRL). Methods: This retrospective analysis included data from 3 completed and ongoing studies within our laboratory, wherein PCOS and CTRL participants were assessed in the supine position for 10 minutes while beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) was recorded via finger photoplethysmography (calibrated to manual sphygmomanometer-derived values). In the present study, novel analyses were conducted which quantified indices of BPV using standard deviation of variability and average real variability. Between-group differences were assessed using unpaired t-tests. Results: Females with PCOS (n=18) were matched with CTRL for age [±2yrs (22±3 vs. 22±3 years, respectively; p=0.85)] and body mass index (BMI) [±2 kg/m 2 (23±2 kg/m 2 vs. 22±2 kg/m 2 ; p=0.52)]. Neither systolic (109±7 vs. 109±9 mmHg; p=0.94) nor diastolic (68±7 vs. 65±7 mmHg; p=0.18) BP differed between PCOS and CTRL. Similarly, standard deviations of BPV (systolic: 0.9±0.2 vs. 0.9±0.2 mmHg; p=0.73; diastolic: 0.9±0.3 vs. 0.8±0.4 mmHg; p=0.54), nor average real variability of BP (systolic: 0.9±0.2 vs. 1.0±0.3 mmHg; p=0.42; diastolic: 0.9±0.2 vs. 1.0±0.5 mmHg; p=0.47) differed between PCOS and CTRL. Conclusion: These data suggest that, despite well-established cardiovascular risk factors that accompany PCOS, very-short-term BPV does not appear to be elevated among a cohort of young, lean, and normotensive females with PCOS. However, given the heterogeneous nature of this disorder, further research is warranted to investigate the impact of PCOS on various indices of BPV (i.e., short- and long-term BPV) and to determine potential differences that might emerge in non-lean females with PCOS who represent the majority of the PCOS population. Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Fonds de Recherche du Quebec - Santé This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.