Women in their 30s and 40s with a common condition affecting how the ovaries work are more likely to get heart disease suggests a new study.
The study has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1
“Polycystic ovary syndrome isn’t a life sentence – there are many ways to stay heart healthy. Small changes add up, like eating more fruits and vegetables and doing more exercise,” said study author Dr. Clare Oliver-Williams of the University of Cambridge, UK.
It is estimated that 6-20 percent of women of reproductive age have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Features of the condition include multiple cysts (fluid-filled sacs) on the ovaries, irregular periods, excess body hair or hair loss from the head due to high levels of male hormones, and difficulty becoming pregnant.
Women with PCOS are more likely to be overweight or obese, have diabetes, and have high blood pressure – all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
This study examined whether this risky profile translates into a greater likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease – and, for the first time, whether that persists across the lifespan.
“Some PCOS symptoms are only present during the reproductive years, so it’s possible that the raised chance of heart disease might disappear later in life,” said Dr. Oliver-Williams.
The study included 60,574 women receiving treatment to help them get pregnant such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), from 1994 to 2015. Of those, 6,149 (10.2 percent had PCOS. The researchers used medical records to follow the women for nine years. During that period, 2,925 (4.8 percent) women developed cardiovascular disease.
Overall, women with PCOS were at 19 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than women who did not have PCOS.
When divided into age groups, women with PCOS aged 50 and over did not have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular risk compared to their peers without PCOS. (ANI)
