Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women with Hyperandrogenism, Oligomenorrhea, or Polycystic Ovaries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in women with components of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), specifically hyperandrogenism, oligomenorrhea/menstrual irregularity, or polycystic ovaries. Analyzing data from 23 studies involving 346,486 women, the study found that oligomenorrhea/menstrual irregularity is associated with a higher risk of overall CVD (RR = 1.29), coronary heart disease (CHD) (RR = 1.22), and myocardial infarction (MI) (RR = 1.37), independent of obesity. The evidence for hyperandrogenism's role in CVD risk was mixed, and no studies evaluated polycystic ovaries as an independent risk factor. The findings suggest that irregular, infrequent, or absent periods significantly increase the risk of certain CVDs, highlighting the need for tailored cardiometabolic screening and risk management for specific PCOS phenotypes. Further research is needed to explore the impact of hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries on CVD risk.