Key result
Polycystic ovarian syndrome was not independently associated with insulin resistance beyond obesity, but was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.03).
Why the study?
PCOS is generally believed to independently increase insulin resistance, but few studies with direct measures and large samples have tested this association.
Does PCOS independently increase insulin resistance beyond obesity in women under 40?
Case-Control (n=166)
Does PCOS independently increase insulin resistance beyond obesity in women under 40?
PCOS is not independently associated with insulin resistance beyond the effects of obesity, though it may independently increase systolic blood pressure.
BMI tracks insulin resistance similarly in PCOS and controls; leaves open whether PCOS confers meaningful independent risk beyond adiposity.
Objective: Although obesity and insulin resistance are common in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), PCOS is generally believed to independently raise the risk of insulin resistance. However, only a few studies have used direct measures of insulin resistance, and they have included few subjects. The objective of this study was to compare the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance in a relatively large sample size of women, with and without PCOS, using a specific measure of insulin action. Methods: We compared 94 women with PCOS based on the 1990 NIH criteria with 72 controls with eumenorrhea less than 40 years old. Degree of insulin resistance was quantified using the insulin suppression test. Fasting glucose and lipid concentrations and blood pressure were also measured. Results: There was a significant and comparable relationship between BMI and insulin resistance in women with and without PCOS (r=0.55, p<0.001 in PCOS, r=0.53, p<0.001 in Control). In a linear model adjusted for age and BMI, PCOS was not significantly associated with insulin resistance. PCOS was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.03) but not triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting glucose concentration. Conclusion: Challenging previous studies, we find that PCOS is not independently associated with insulin resistance beyond obesity. PCOS, however, may independently increase systolic blood pressure.
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A 2014 study conducted a case-control in Polycystic ovarian syndrome (n=166). Polycystic ovarian syndrome vs. Eumenorrheic controls was evaluated on Insulin resistance quantified using the insulin suppression test. Polycystic ovarian syndrome was not independently associated with insulin resistance beyond obesity, but was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.03).
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