Key result
PCOS increases cardiovascular risk, warranting early cardiometabolic screening across broad metabolic and psychological domains.
PCOS is increasingly recognized as a cardiovascular disease risk-enhancing factor, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and frequent cardiometabolic screening.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, with broad implications for reproductive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological health. Antimüllerian hormone level has emerged as a unique biomarker reflecting both ovarian reserve and possibly playing a significant role as a neuroactive hormone in the pathogenesis of PCOS. Beyond reproductive concerns, PCOS confers an elevated lifetime risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. With increasing evidence for the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke even in the reproductive years, PCOS is now considered a cardiovascular disease risk-enhancing factor. Novel insights into the alterations observed in the gut microbiome in PCOS suggest possible contributions to metabolic dysfunction and inflammation, opening avenues for innovative therapeutic strategies. Expanding on the gut-PCOS connection, the high prevalence of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety observed in PCOS may be linked to gut dysbiosis. Although recent studies indicate differences in neuroimaging and cognitive function in women with PCOS compared with controls, rigorous evaluation accounting for other factors influencing cognition and longitudinal changes is needed. Given the increased prevalence of multisystem comorbidities, early diagnosis, especially in adolescence, will allow appropriate counseling and implementation of early prevention and frequent cardiometabolic screening. Together, these developments will ultimately allow for the development of novel therapies and result in comprehensive, patient-centered, and evidence-based care. Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of PCOS and its associated comorbidities and recognizing PCOS as a cardiovascular disorder risk-enhancing condition hold promise for improving long-term outcomes and quality of life for women living with PCOS.
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Anuja Dokras (2025) conducted a review in Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Polycystic ovary syndrome is increasingly recognized as a cardiovascular disease risk-enhancing factor with broad metabolic and psychological implications, necessitating early cardiometabolic screening.