Tissue Insulin Sensitivity and Body Weight in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
August 2001
in “
Clinical endocrinology
”
insulin sensitivity polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS hirsutism amenorrhea fasting insulin levels plasma luteinizing hormone LH levels body mass index BMI serum testosterone androstenedione insulin receptor binding insulin-stimulated glucose transport tissue insulin resistance insulin resistance PCOS BMI testosterone LH
Studysummary This study found that lean women with PCOS have a similar degree of tissue insulin resistance as obese women with PCOS, suggesting that insulin resistance may be a primary feature of the syndrome.
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The study investigated tissue insulin sensitivity in lean and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to control subjects. It included 6 lean and 14 overweight PCOS patients, and 8 controls. Results showed that both lean and obese PCOS patients had elevated fasting insulin levels and low insulin receptor binding, with no significant difference between the two groups. Lean PCOS patients had higher plasma LH levels than obese ones, and there was a strong inverse correlation between BMI and LH levels. The findings suggested that insulin resistance might be a primary feature of PCOS, potentially due to genetic factors in lean subjects or secondary to obesity in overweight subjects.
