Methods: Sixty-nine young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [age 25.2+/- 4.7 years, with body mass index (BMI) 24.3 +/- 4.8 kg/m2; mean 6 SD] and 73 age-matched healthy females (BMI 22.3 +/- 3.3 kg/m2; mean +/- SD) were evaluated for the occurrence of features of metabolic syndrome according to the Adult Treatment Panel III.
Results: Overt metabolic syndrome (the presence of three and more risk factors) was not more common in PCOS women (1/64, 1.6%) than in healthy controls (0/73, 0%). On the other hand, in nearly 50% of PCOS women isolated features of metabolic syndrome, most often a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, were found. Women with at least one feature of metabolic syndrome were, in comparison with women without any of these features, significantly more obese (P = 0.0001), with lower insulin sensitivity (P = 0.05). When comparing PCOS women according to the degree of insulin sensitivity, as determined by euglycaemic clamp, isolated features of metabolic syndrome were found in 8/17 women above the upper quartile, compared with 11/16 women below the lower quartile of insulin sensitivity (P = 0.20).
Conclusions: Overt metabolic syndrome is only rarely encountered in young Czech females affected by PCOS but its isolated features are relatively frequent, both in young PCOS patients and in age-matched control women.