Obesity appears to increase the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a study presented at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Ill. An estimated 7% to 10% of all reproductive-aged women globally have PCOS. Women with PCOS have a hormonal imbalance and metabolism problems that may affect their overall health, appearance and fertility.
“Our study suggests for the first time that the high prevalence of PCOS in the world may, in part, be due to the rising obesity rate globally,” said Dr Mina Amiri of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, who is one of the study’s authors. “Additionally, obesity associated with PCOS may increase the risk of diabetes, hypertension and other health problems.”
Obesity has been viewed as driving the high prevalence of PCOS, the single most common endocrine disorder of women. PCOS is associated with health issues including:
Acne, scalp hair loss and excessive hair growth
Increased risk of infertility
Increased risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hypertension
Increased risk of depression, anxiety and eating disorders
Increased risk of endometrial cancer
The researchers evaluated 6,271 studies and selected a total of 55 studies, including 71,081 adult reproductive-aged women, which recorded the prevalence of PCOS globally. They compared the prevalence of PCOS with the prevalence of obesity in individual nations and found a significant association between the obesity prevalence in a population and its PCOS prevalence when high quality studies were considered.
“The findings of the research may help clinicians and the general public understand that while many women with PCOS are not obese, the rate of obesity may help drive the rising rate of PCOS,” said Dr Ricardo Azziz of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who is senior author of the study.