Results of a cross-sectional study detail characteristics among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who develop type 2 diabetes.
Prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Macedonia is not as high as rates seen in Western countries, according to results of a cross-sectional study.
PCOS, a metabolic reproductive disorder, “is the most common endocrine disease affecting from 3% to 16% of women of reproductive age,” researchers explained. Although the exact pathophysiology is unknown, previous studies have indicated hyperinsulinemia is secondary to insulin resistance (IR) and could play an important role in the syndrome’s pathogenesis.
Women with PCOS have also exhibited beta cell dysfunction; this symptom, in addition to IR, contributes to the development of T2D. “Furthermore, the risk for [T2D] in women with PCOS is estimated to be 5 to 10-fold higher than factors including age and weight, when compared with the normal control population,” the authors wrote.
To better understand the prevalence of IGT and T2D among Macedonian women with diagnosed PCOS and to identify potential predictors of abnormal glucose tolerance, the researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 80 women who presented to the University Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders in Skopje, Macedonia.
All participants completed the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Individuals were all of reproductive age, did not have chronic disease, and did not take any oral contraceptive or other forms of hormonal contraception or fertility treatments.
Analyses revealed:
Overall, findings are “in line with the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in Italian and European women with PCOS,” while “different studies from the literature show that IGT was present in 35% of US women and 47% of Asian obese women and in low to moderate weight women from Europe, at first clinical examination,” the researchers said.
Different findings could be due to factors such as age, BMI, ethnicity, and the impact of dietary factors on enrolled patients. As results indicate age has an independent effect on 2-hour post load glucose from OGTT, the investigators noted clinicians should keep this factor in mind.
In addition, “obesity has a crucial role in the development and maintaining of PCOS, and it significantly influences the severity of metabolic abnormalities. Obesity is also a major modifiable risk factor for [T2D] in women with PCOS,” they added.
“Close monitoring of older, obese women with low SHBG is needed because there is a higher risk of developing IGT and [T2D] in these kinds of patients,” the authors concluded.
Reference
This article was originally published on the American Journal of Managed Care®.
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