Chinese women with PCOS have high rates of hypertension and metabolic abnormalities

by Michael Woodhead

One in five Chinese women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) have hypertension, almost twice the rate of other women, a study from Shandong has found.

Women with PCOS also had abnormal lipid, insulin and glucose levels compared to women without PCOS according to a study conducted by Dr Shi Yuhau and co-researchers at the Reproductive Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan.

The researchers studies 3396 women with PCOS and 1891 controls They found the prevalence of hypertension to be 19.2% in the women with PCOS, which was much higher than that in the controls (11.9%). After matching for BMI, the hypertensive PCOS group had significantly higher glucose, insulin, and lipid levels than the normotensive PCOS group; these differences were significant.

The researchers said the likelihood of long-term metabolic complications was high in hypertensive PCOS patients.

 “These findings underscore the importance of preventive strategies in women with PCOS in order to prevent hypertension,” they said.

“Cardiac risk factors associated with PCOS have public health implications and should drive early screening and intervention measures. Fasting lipid profiles and glucose examinations should be performed regularly. Treatment of the associated cardiovascular risk factors, including insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, should be incorporated into routine PCOS patient wellness care programmes. These results suggest that it is importance to control weight and blood pressure in women with PCOS in order to reduce their excess risk of future complications. “

Read the full study in: European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology