Relationship Between Steroid Hormones and Metabolic Profile in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
March 2019
in “
Physiological Research
”
TLDR Overweight women with PCOS have higher levels of certain hormones that could indicate a higher risk of heart and metabolic problems.
The study examined 64 women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and found that those with a BMI ≥27 had significantly higher levels of serum free testosterone (FT), free androgen index (FAI), and estrone (E1) compared to women with lower BMI. These hormones were associated with a worse cardiometabolic profile, as E1 correlated positively with BMI, insulin levels, and insulin resistance, and negatively with HDL-cholesterol. Similarly, FAI was positively correlated with cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and glycemia, and negatively with HDL-cholesterol. The study concluded that overweight or obese women with PCOS have higher levels of FT, FAI, and E1, which may predict a worse cardiometabolic profile. However, no significant relationship was found between dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels and metabolic parameters. Despite its limitations, such as the small sample size and lack of mass spectrometry, the study suggests that FT, FAI, and E1 could be markers for monitoring cardiometabolic risk in PCOS patients, especially those who are overweight or obese.