Heart Rate Variability and Lipid Profile in Non Obese Young Indian Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

CONTEXT (BACKGROUND): Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathy of premenopausal women and is a most frequent cause of infertility. There are more stringent reports of cardiovascular events and infrequent investigations of lipid levels in lean PCOS. AIMS: To assess the cardiac autonomicity using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters and metabolic risk with serum lipid parameters among ideal and lean weight PCOS patients. Settings and Design: case control study. 24 classical PCOS diagnosed by Rotterdam 2003 Diagnostic criteria and were ideal and lean as per WHO criteria and 24 BMI matched, age matched normally menstruating women served as study participants. Methods and Material: 5 min of Electrocardiogram (ECG) was taken which was evaluated for HRV. Power spectral analysis was done to calculate the time and frequency domain measures of HRV. Fasting serum lipid profile was done. Statistical analysis: Independent sample't' test was used. RESULTS: The results of the present study showed that cardiac autonomic innervations can be affected in lean and ideal weight PCOS with increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic components of HRV. As a result, sympathetic to parasympathetic ratio may increase in PCOS. Fasting blood sugar was also increased. Of the lipid parameters total cholesterol and LDL-C was increased. Other parameters were not altered. CONCLUSION: This study gives a solid and strong evidence of altered cardiac autonomic activity and unfavorable metabolic profile, which are the important risk factors for cardiovascular disease even in lean and ideal weight PCOS. Our data suggest that all PCOS patients should undergo periodic screening for normal cardiac activity and lipid profiles irrespective of obesity.