Evaluation of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case-Control Study in Zanjan, Iran

Polycyctic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women, which can lead to cardiovascular and metabolic complications. The measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) by sonography is an indicator of atherosclerosis, which is highly associated with cardiovascular diseases. The main objective of this study was to compare CIMT between PCOS patients and healthy individuals. This case-control study was performed on 30 patients with PCOS (case group) and 26 healthy women (control group), referring to the obstetric department of Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan, Iran. Lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin level, blood pressure, waist circumference, and CIMT were measured in the studied subjects. T-test was performed for comparing the means of studied samples. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean±SD of age was 29.52±4.01 years in the case group and 33.94±6.43 years in the control group (P=0.002). The mean±SD of CIMT was 0.32±0.06 in the case group and 0.29±0.05 in the control group. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the case group was higher than that reported in the control group (33.33% vs. 19.23%). In fact, PCOS and metabolic syndrome had cumulative and interactive effects on CIMT; however, the difference between the two groups was insignificant (P=0.263). The mean values of triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), FBS, blood pressure, waist circumference, and insulin level were higher in the case group, compared to the control group; however, the difference between the two groups was significant only in terms of waist circumference (P=0.001). The results of the present study demonstrated that CIMT in patients with PCOS was higher than that reported in healthy women. In addition, this increment was found to be more significant in patients with PCOS and metabolic syndromes. Therefore, complete lipid profile tests and CIMT measurement are highly recommended for these patients at lower ages to prevent cardiovascular events.