Clinical and Biochemical Presentations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Among Obese and Nonobese Women

Objective: To study the differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics between obese and nonobese 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 nonobese 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 nonobese 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 nonobese women with PCOS. Moreover, obese women with PCOS had significantly higher serum total T levels and more prolonged menstrual intervals than nonobese women with PCOS. Notably, the obese women with PCOS presented less acne than the nonobese 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 nonobese subjects. Moreover, obese women with PCOS had a significantly lower frequency of acne than nonobese subjects.