Polycystic ovarian syndrome and its relationship with obesity among Assamese women in Assam, Northeast India

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinological disorder affecting 6–10% of women in their reproductive years and causing various metabolic syndromes. PCOS is often confused with coexisting obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Obesity is common in PCOS and affects between 30–70% of reproductive women, depending on the study setting and the ethnic background of the research participants.

Objective: To study the prevalence of obesity in PCOS women and its impact on various biological parameters associated with PCOS.

Materials and methods: A hospital-based prospective study was undertaken, which included a sample of 100 reproductive women diagnosed with PCOS. Anthropometric and various biological variables were obtained for the present study.

Results: The results showed that obese PCOS women constituted 71.00% and non-obese PCOS women 29.00% of the subjects. The biological variables were found to have a higher impact among obese PCOS women. Menstrual irregularity (12.68%) and hypertension (5.63%) were significantly higher in obese PCOS women. The anthropometric indices also played a significant role among the obese PCOS women, and the findings showed that the body mass index (BMI; 26.20 ± 2.70 kg/m2) and waist-hip ratio (WHR; 0.90 ± 0.32 kg/m2) showed a high predictive value.

Conclusion: Obese PCOS women have a higher risk of adverse fertility and metabolic outcomes. The anthropometric parameters were found to be strongly associated with obesity among PCOS women.