Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in women with a previous diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome: long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to the scientific statement of the American Heart Association and the US National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III in middle-aged Swedish women previously diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison with age-matched healthy controls.

DESIGN

Long-term follow-up study.

SETTING

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uppsala University.

PATIENT(S): Eighty-four women diagnosed with PCOS between 1987 and 1995; and 87 controls randomly selected from the general population.

INTERVENTION(S): Anthropometric measurements and blood tests.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, and glucose.

RESULT(S): The prevalence of MetS in women with PCOS (mean ± SD age, 43.0 ± 5.8 years) was 23.8% and in controls was 8.0%, and it did not differ according to PCOS phenotype at the index assessment (polycystic ovaries [PCO], oligomenorrhea, and hirsutism: 10 [22.7%]; PCO and oligomenorrhea: 8 [22.2%]) or according to the persistence of PCOS features at follow-up (persisting PCOS: 25.8%; resolved PCOS: 16.7%).

CONCLUSION(S): The MetS occurred more often in patients with PCOS than in controls and did not depend on phenotypic presentation at the index assessment or the persistence of PCOS at follow-up.