Women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome - the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age - face a heightened risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, reproductive disorders and cancer of the lining of the uterus than healthy women, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces slightly higher amounts of testosterone and other androgen hormones than normal. The resulting hormone imbalance can cause irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, weight gain, acne, excess hair on the face and body, or thinning hair on the scalp. As many as 5 million women nationwide have PCOS, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Women's Health.
"PCOS has profound implications for a women's reproductive health as well as her long-term risk of chronic illness," said one of the study's authors, Roger Hart, MD, MRCOG, FRANZCOG, CREI, of the University of Western Australia and Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, both in Perth, Australia. "Our study indicates women who have PCOS have twice as many hospital admissions as women without the condition. Additional health care resources should be directed to address the risks facing this population."
The population-based retrospective cohort study examined health records for 2,566 women ages 15 and older who were diagnosed with PCOS during a hospital visit in Western Australia between 1997 and 2011. This population's records were compared to hospitalization records for 25,660 women of similar ages, who were identified using voter registration records. Researchers tracked the participants' hospitalization records until the women reached a median age of 35.8 years.
Researchers analyzing the data found women who were diagnosed with PCOS were more likely to be hospitalized for reasons unrelated to reproductive health or injury than their counterparts. Women who had PCOS were more likely to have miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or other gynecological conditions such as irregular menstrual periods and endometriosis. Women who had PCOS also had a higher rate of endometrial cancer, or cancer of the lining of the uterus.
Women diagnosed with PCOS were hospitalized more often for mental health disorders such as depression, stress and anxiety than other study participants. A PCOS diagnosis also was associated with a higher risk of late onset diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and musculoskeletal disorders.
"We found women who have PCOS are particularly prone to developing metabolic and cardiovascular disease," Hart said. "Since only 25 percent of the women we studied were older than 40, we anticipate the rate of diagnosis would rise as these women continue to age."
The Endocrine Society recommended screening women and teens diagnosed with PCOS for heart disease risk factors and diabetes in its Clinical Practice Guideline on the condition.
The co-author of the study is Dorota A. Doherty of the University of Western Australia and the Women' and Infants' Research Foundation, King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, Australia.
The study, "The Potential Implications of a PCOS Diagnosis on a Woman's Long-term Health Using Data Linkage," was published online, ahead of print.
Explore further: PCOS affects one in 10 women, may be linked to other serious diseases
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
PCOS affects one in 10 women, may be linked to other serious diseases
Jan 20, 2015
Despite its name, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) isn't actually a disease of the ovary.
PCOS diagnosis tied to inflammation during pregnancy
May 29, 2014
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome – the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age – are more likely to experience chronic low-grade inflammation during pregnancy than counterparts who do not have ...
Polycystic ovary syndrome tied to risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of BMI
Jun 23, 2014
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and this risk appears to be independent of body mass index (BMI), a new study finds. The results were presented Saturday at ICE/ENDO ...
Women with PCOS have family heart disease link
Oct 05, 2011
A new study from the University of Adelaide shows the parents of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Experts clarify conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome
Oct 24, 2013
The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age and a leading cause of infertility.
Recommended for you
New review looks at the effect of thyroid disorders on reproductive health
Jan 23, 2015
Thyroid disease can have significant effects on a woman's reproductive health and screening for women presenting with fertility problems and recurrent early pregnancy loss should be considered, suggests a new review published ...
Risks for Ebola virus-infected pregnant women discussed
Jan 22, 2015
(HealthDay)—Ebola virus-infected pregnant women are at risk for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, according to an article published online Jan. 14 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gy ...
Prescription painkillers, widely used by childbearing age women, double birth defects risk
Jan 22, 2015
More than one-fourth of privately-insured and one-third of Medicaid-enrolled women of childbearing age filled prescriptions for opioid-based (narcotic) painkillers between 2008 and 2012, according to a new ...
World's only super-database for pharmaceutical use during pregnancy
Jan 22, 2015
Should a woman prescribed antidepressants continue taking them while pregnant? The question is fraught—her health and that of her unborn child is at stake. Yet research to help her and her doctor make that decision is incomplete.
Link found between pain during or after sexual intercourse and mode of delivery
Jan 21, 2015
Operative birth is associated with persisting pain during or after sexual intercourse, known as dyspareunia, suggests a new study published today (21 January) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG) ...
Study of babies born after IVF shows significant improvements in health over 20 years
Jan 20, 2015
The last two decades has seen a steady improvement in the health outcomes of children born after assisted reproduction (ART), with fewer babies being born preterm, with low birth weight, stillborn or dying ...
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome - the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age - face a heightened risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, reproductive disorders and cancer of the lining of the uterus than healthy women, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces slightly higher amounts of testosterone and other androgen hormones than normal. The resulting hormone imbalance can cause irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, weight gain, acne, excess hair on the face and body, or thinning hair on the scalp. As many as 5 million women nationwide have PCOS, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Women's Health.
"PCOS has profound implications for a women's reproductive health as well as her long-term risk of chronic illness," said one of the study's authors, Roger Hart, MD, MRCOG, FRANZCOG, CREI, of the University of Western Australia and Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, both in Perth, Australia. "Our study indicates women who have PCOS have twice as many hospital admissions as women without the condition. Additional health care resources should be directed to address the risks facing this population."
The population-based retrospective cohort study examined health records for 2,566 women ages 15 and older who were diagnosed with PCOS during a hospital visit in Western Australia between 1997 and 2011. This population's records were compared to hospitalization records for 25,660 women of similar ages, who were identified using voter registration records. Researchers tracked the participants' hospitalization records until the women reached a median age of 35.8 years.
Researchers analyzing the data found women who were diagnosed with PCOS were more likely to be hospitalized for reasons unrelated to reproductive health or injury than their counterparts. Women who had PCOS were more likely to have miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or other gynecological conditions such as irregular menstrual periods and endometriosis. Women who had PCOS also had a higher rate of endometrial cancer, or cancer of the lining of the uterus.
Women diagnosed with PCOS were hospitalized more often for mental health disorders such as depression, stress and anxiety than other study participants. A PCOS diagnosis also was associated with a higher risk of late onset diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and musculoskeletal disorders.
"We found women who have PCOS are particularly prone to developing metabolic and cardiovascular disease," Hart said. "Since only 25 percent of the women we studied were older than 40, we anticipate the rate of diagnosis would rise as these women continue to age."
The Endocrine Society recommended screening women and teens diagnosed with PCOS for heart disease risk factors and diabetes in its Clinical Practice Guideline on the condition.
The co-author of the study is Dorota A. Doherty of the University of Western Australia and the Women' and Infants' Research Foundation, King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, Australia.
The study, "The Potential Implications of a PCOS Diagnosis on a Woman's Long-term Health Using Data Linkage," was published online, ahead of print.
Explore further: PCOS affects one in 10 women, may be linked to other serious diseases
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
PCOS affects one in 10 women, may be linked to other serious diseases
Jan 20, 2015
Despite its name, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) isn't actually a disease of the ovary.
PCOS diagnosis tied to inflammation during pregnancy
May 29, 2014
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome – the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age – are more likely to experience chronic low-grade inflammation during pregnancy than counterparts who do not have ...
Polycystic ovary syndrome tied to risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of BMI
Jun 23, 2014
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and this risk appears to be independent of body mass index (BMI), a new study finds. The results were presented Saturday at ICE/ENDO ...
Women with PCOS have family heart disease link
Oct 05, 2011
A new study from the University of Adelaide shows the parents of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Experts clarify conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome
Oct 24, 2013
The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age and a leading cause of infertility.
Recommended for you
New review looks at the effect of thyroid disorders on reproductive health
Jan 23, 2015
Thyroid disease can have significant effects on a woman's reproductive health and screening for women presenting with fertility problems and recurrent early pregnancy loss should be considered, suggests a new review published ...
Risks for Ebola virus-infected pregnant women discussed
Jan 22, 2015
(HealthDay)—Ebola virus-infected pregnant women are at risk for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, according to an article published online Jan. 14 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gy ...
Prescription painkillers, widely used by childbearing age women, double birth defects risk
Jan 22, 2015
More than one-fourth of privately-insured and one-third of Medicaid-enrolled women of childbearing age filled prescriptions for opioid-based (narcotic) painkillers between 2008 and 2012, according to a new ...
World's only super-database for pharmaceutical use during pregnancy
Jan 22, 2015
Should a woman prescribed antidepressants continue taking them while pregnant? The question is fraught—her health and that of her unborn child is at stake. Yet research to help her and her doctor make that decision is incomplete.
Link found between pain during or after sexual intercourse and mode of delivery
Jan 21, 2015
Operative birth is associated with persisting pain during or after sexual intercourse, known as dyspareunia, suggests a new study published today (21 January) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG) ...
Study of babies born after IVF shows significant improvements in health over 20 years
Jan 20, 2015
The last two decades has seen a steady improvement in the health outcomes of children born after assisted reproduction (ART), with fewer babies being born preterm, with low birth weight, stillborn or dying ...
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here
to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment