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

ObjectiveTo 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.DesignLong-term follow-up study.SettingDepartment 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.