Study: Thin women with PCOS more likely to have acne than obese counterparts

Clinical and biochemical presentations of polycystic ovary syndrome among obese and non-obese women.

Fertil Steril. 2008 Nov 1.

Liou TH, Yang JH, Hsieh CH, Lee CY, Hsu CS, Hsu MI.
Obesity Research Center, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To study the differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics between obese and non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital.

PATIENT(S): Four hundred sixty-four Taiwan Chinese women, among whom 295 were diagnosed with PCOS and 169 were non-PCOS controls.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Body mass index, average menstrual interval, modified Ferriman-Gallwey score, acne, total T, and waist-to-hip ratio.

RESULT(S): Obese women with polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) had a greater risk of developing of PCOS (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-10.4) than non-obese women with PCOM. Obese women with PCOM had a higher incidence oligomenorrhea (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6-4.1) and biochemical hyperandrogenemia (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6-4.0) than non-obese women with PCOM. Obese subjects with PCOS had a higher risk of developing oligomenorrhea (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.7) and biochemical hyperandrogenemia (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6-4.2) than non-obese women with PCOS. Moreover, obese women with PCOS had significantly higher serum total T levels and more prolonged menstrual intervals than non-obese women with PCOS. Notably, the obese women with PCOS presented less acne than the non-obese subjects (OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9).

CONCLUSION(S): Obese women with PCOS had more severe ovulatory dysfunction and higher serum total T levels than non-obese subjects. Moreover, obese women with PCOS had a significantly lower frequency of acne than non-obese subjects.

 


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