PURPOSE: To compare the metabolic characteristics of obese and non-obese young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (POS) from the Brazilian Southeast. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 218 women of reproductive age with a diagnosis of POS - 90 non-obese women (BMI between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m²), and 128 obese patients (BMI >30 kg/m²) selected at the time of diagnosis. The frequency of insulin resistance (IR), glucose intolerance (GI), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and mean values of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), were compared between obese and non-obese patients with POS. The two groups were also compared in terms of clinical and hormonal characteristics (follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone, total testosterone, dihydroepiandrostenedione sulfate, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone). Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS 9.0 software. Quantitative variables were compared by the Student´s t-test (data with normal distribution) or by the Mann-Whitney test (non-parametric distribution). Qualitative variables were compared by the Fisher test. The level of significance was set at 5% (p<0.05) in all analyses. RESULTS: The frequency of IR, GI and MetS was significantly higher in obese than non-obese patients with POS (66.7, 29.9, and 63% versus 24.7, 12.2, and 16.4%, respectively). Obese patients had higher TC and TG levels (189.8±35.8 mg/dL and 145.4±71.1 mg/dL, respectively) than non-obese patients (172.1±38.4 mg/dL and 99.3±54 mg/dL, respectively). Both groups had mean HDL levels below 50 mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: Young obese women with POS have a higher frequency of IR, GI and MS than non-obese. However, the occurrence of metabolic disorders is elevated also in the non-obese patients, suggesting that the presence of the syndrome may favor the development of metabolic comorbidities with potential medium- and long-term repercussions.
Polycystic ovary syndrome; Obesity; Insulin resistance; Dyslipidemias
