Characterization of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Among Flo App Users Around the World

    December 2020 in “ Research Square (Research Square) ”
    Tarun Jain, Olivia Negris, Dannielle Brown, Isabel Galic, Rodion Salimgariev, Liudmila Zhaunova
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    TLDR The Flo app showed that bloating, high cholesterol and glucose levels are common in women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and these symptoms increase with body mass index (BMI), suggesting a need to refine PCOS diagnosis criteria.
    The study utilized the Flo app to analyze the characteristics of Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women from 142 countries, focusing on the five countries with the most respondents: US (243,238), UK (68,325), India (40,092), Philippines (35,131), and Australia (29,926). The most common symptom reported by PCOS-positive women was bloating, which was also the main predictor of PCOS in the study's model. Other top predictors included high blood cholesterol and glucose levels. As BMI increased, the percentage of women with a physician-confirmed PCOS diagnosis also increased, except in India. The study concluded that PCOS symptoms are more complex than previously understood, with the most frequently reported symptoms including bloating, facial hirsutism, irregular cycles, hyperpigmentation, and baldness. This suggests a need to reevaluate and refine the criteria used in PCOS diagnosis.
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