Ds. Guzick et al., CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME - INITIAL RESULTS FROM A CASE-CONTROL STUDY, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 174(4), 1996, pp. 1224-1229
Objective: Our our purpose was to determine whether women with polycys
tic ovary syndrome have greater subclinical atherosclerosis as measure
d by carotid artery ultrasonography. Study Design: Sixteen premenopaus
al women less than 40 years old with a history of clinical polycystic
ovary syndrome and a current total testosterone concentration less tha
n or equal to 2.0nmol/L and 16 age-matched (plus or minus 5 years) cyc
ling women underwent carotid scanning. Intima-media thickness and plaq
ue were compared between cases and controls, as were risk factors for
atherosclerosis including body mass index and fasting insulin and lipi
d levels. Statistical analysis included t tests, Fisher's exact test,
and multiple linear regression. Results: Mean plus or minus SE intima-
media thickness was found to be significantly greater for cases with p
olycystic ovary syndrome (0.680 plus or minus 0.019 mm) than for contr
ols (0.630 plus or minus 0.012 mm) (t=2.31, p=0.035). Five cases (31.3
%) and two controls (12.5%) had ultrasonographic evidence of plaque (n
ot significant). Univariate regressions of intima-media thickness yiel
ded significant coefficients for insulin, total cholesterol, low-densi
ty lipoprotein cholesterol and body mass index. When either total chol
esterol or low-density lipoprotein were included in the model simultan
eously with polycystic ovary syndrome, each retained significance. Thi
s was not true for insulin and body mass index, however, suggesting th
at these factors covaried with polycystic ovary syndrome in a dimensio
n affecting intima-media thickness. Conclusions: In spite of a major l
imitation of small sample size, these data suggest that women with pol
ycystic ovary syndrome have an increased risk of subclinical atheroscl
erosis in their 40s.