Evaluation of Endocrine and Metabolic Parameters in the New Diagnostic Phenotypes of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very frequent endocrine disease of women in reproductive age, with an estimated prevalence of 5 to 10 % according to the studied population. In 2003 a committee of experts joined in Rotterdam under the auspice of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, defined diagnostic criteria. It should include unless two of the following: menstrual irregularities; excess of male hormones (clinic or biochemical) and polycystic ovaries under ultrasound examination; giving rise to four subgroups or phenotypes:

1- Women with polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism and oligoamenorrhea . 2. Women with normal ovaries, hyperandrogenism and oligoamenorrhea. 3- Women with polycystic ovaries, oligoamenorrhea without hyperandrogenism. 4- Women with polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism with normal menses. PCOS shares components of Metabolic Syndrome for the high prevalence of insulin resistance (abdominal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, impaired lipid profile and probably cardiovascular disease). All these findings lead us to assume that women with PCOS could have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless it is premature to assume that every PCOS phenotype has the same cardiac and metabolic risk factors. So, it is important to evaluate the endocrine and metabolic characteristic in different phenotypes of PCOS to prevent the co morbidities that predispose to cardiovascular disease. And of course to avoid unnecessary measures in groups that could not show increased risk.