Cardiovascular health in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is arguably the most common endocrinopathy among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS have clinical characteristics that are associated with insulin resistance, vascular dysfunction, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Although definitive data for increased cardiovascular events in women with PCOS are lacking, case-control studies have documented an increased risk of preclinical cardiovascular disease. Thus, PCOS should be viewed as a chronic condition that may ultimately have long-term health impacts and patients should be counseled to reduce cardiovascular risk factors through weight control, exercise, and/or pharmacologic treatments.