HYPERINSULINEMIA IN THE POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME - A CLINICAL, ENDOCRINE AND ECHOGRAPHIC STUDY IN 240 PATIENTS

In recent years numerous studies have suggested insulin to be an impor tant regulator of ovarian function and hyperinsulinemia to be associat ed with hyperandrogenism. An oral glucose-tolerance rest was carried o ut in 240 women with polycystic ovary syndrome and, based on its resul t, 142 of the women (59.2% were insulin resistant or hyperinsulinemic and 98 (40.8% were normoinsulinemic. Compared with the normoinsulinemi c group, the hyperinsulinemic group had a greater incidence of obesity (52.8 vs. 21.4%), secondary amenorrhea (24.6 vs. 9.2%), androgenic sy mptoms (85.9 vs. 67.4%) and, in particular, hirsutism with or without acne (71.8 vs. 48.0%). Moreover, the hyperinsulinemic group had signif icantly higher plasma levels of androstenedione, testosterone, free te stosterone and insulin, and lower levels of luteinizing hormone, estra diol and sex hormone-binding globulin.