Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2001 Jun;44(6):1178-1185.

Intima Media Thickness(IMT) in Relation to Insulin Resistance and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)

• Kim JY
• Park IH
• Jeong IA
• Kang GS
• Ahn CW
• Bai SW
• Cho DJ
• Song CH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to determine whether women with PCOS have greater subclinical atherosclerosis and evaluate the relationship to risk factors for atherosclerosis.
METHODS
Women with PCOS(n=24) and age and body mass index(BMI)-matched cycling women(n=16) as control group underwent carotid scanning for the measurement of the IMT. We compared IMT and plaque between cases and controls, assessed some risk factors for atherosclerosis, and analyzed factors affecting IMT.
RESULTS
There was no difference between the groups in waist-hip ratio(WHR) and in the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride(TG), LDL, Lp(a), fibrinogen, homocystein, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. However, HDL was significantly lower, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar or insulin concentration and IMT was significantly higher in PCOS group than control group (51.1+/-11.6 vs 60.4+/- 10.0mg/dl, 119.4+/-12.5 vs 109.0+/-11.6mmHg, 79.1+/-11.1 vs 68.9+/-7.8mmHg, 93.6+/-11.1 vs 85.0+/-5.9 mg/dl, 8.9+/-5.2 vs 5.0+/-3.3milliunit/ml, 0.57+/-0.12 vs 0.49+/-0.11mm respectively, all p<.05). In the analysis of correlation between the IMT and clinical characteristics, PCOS status, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar or insulin concentration, TG, HDL, fibrinogen were significantly independent variables (Coefficients of correlation were 0.358, 0.461, 0.452, 0.349, 0.405, 0.466, 0.478, -0.433, 0.349 respectively, all p<.05). The factors affecting IMT by multivariate regression were PCOS status and fasting insulin concentration.
CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that women with PCOS might have an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis and insulin resistance was assumed to be the main risk factor of atherosclerosis.

Keyword

Polycystic ovary syndrome; Intima media thickness(IMT); Insulin resistance; Atherosclerosis

MeSH Terms

Atherosclerosis*
Blood Glucose
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Fasting
Female
Fibrinogen
Humans
Insulin Resistance*
Insulin*
Ovary*
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Risk Factors
Blood Glucose
Cholesterol
Fibrinogen
Insulin
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1