Relationship of the Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Controlled, Population-Based Study

In a 2001 study involving 204 Finnish women aged 35-54, researchers explored the connection between metabolic syndrome, obesity, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metabolic syndrome was defined by at least three of eight criteria and was found in 106 (19.5%) of the 543 women screened. The study compared 92 women with metabolic syndrome to 62 overweight women without central obesity or metabolic syndrome and 53 healthy lean women. Women with metabolic syndrome had higher free testosterone levels and more common oligomenorrhea but did not show significant differences in menstrual and fertility history compared to the control groups. Clinical features of hyperandrogenism were not more common in the metabolic syndrome group, and polycystic-like ovaries were similarly frequent across all groups. The study concluded that while metabolic syndrome and PCOS are related, they are distinct entities, with metabolic syndrome presenting a significant risk for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, which should be considered in patient care by gynecologists.