6533b853fe1ef96bd12acd88

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The oligomenorrhoic phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome are characterized by a high visceral adiposity index: a likely condition of cardiometabolic risk.

subject

description

BACKGROUND: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently exhibit central obesity, glucose intolerance, atherogenic dys- lipidemia and hypertension, which are characteristic features of a condition of cardiometabolic risk. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between visceral adiposity index (VAI) and phenotypic characteristics in women with PCOS. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional case-control study in our Endocrinology Outpatients Clinic. A total of 220 women with PCOS (Rotterdam definition) and I44 age- and BMI-matched healthy women were studied. We evaluated hyperandrogenemia and clinical hyperandrogenism, ovarian morphology, hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis and metabolic syndrome parameters. An oral glucose tolerance test (75 g glucose) measured areas under the curve (AUC) for insulin (AUC 2h-insulin ) and for glucose (AUC 2h-glucose ). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, the Matsuda index of insulin resistance and VAI were determined. RESULTS: Of all the variables examined, at multivariate analysis, only AUC 2h-insulin [odds ratio (OR): 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): I.00―I.00; P = 0.003] and VAI score (OR: I.8I; 95% CI: 1.20-2.73; P = 0.005) showed an independent association with PCOS. All phe- notypes with oligomenorrhea showed a higher VAI score than the control group (oligomenorrhea + hyperandrogenism: 2.49 ± I.46 versus I.62 ± 0.84, P < 0.00 I; oligomenorrhea + polycystic ovary morphology: 2.25 ± I.4 versus I.62 + 0.84, P = 0.00I; complete phenotype: 2.45 ± I.63 versus I.62 ± 0.84, P < 0.00I). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that VAI could be an easy and useful tool in daily clinical practice and in population studies for the assessment of cardiometabolic risk associated with PCOS.