Researchers noticed that young women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors, including hypertension, obesity and metabolic syndrome in a case-control study. The researchers also found significantly lower levels of lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A-I and observed a significant reduction in efflux capacity.

“Given the available data, there is evidence to suggest that women with PCOS are at an increased risk for developing CV-related outcomes,” Andrea Roe, MD, of the Department of Obstetrics and gynaecology in the division of reproductive endocrinology at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues wrote. “These data strongly support educating all PCOS patients about the associated risk of dyslipidemia and need for frequent lipid screening.”

Women with PCOS displayed an 11% decrease in normalized cholesterol efflux capacity compared with controls (P<.05). The cholesterol efflux capacity was correlated with BMI, ApoA-I, HDL and presence of metabolic syndrome. PCOS was also significantly associated with an atherogenic profile, including an increase in large VLDL particles, VLDL size and small LDL particles (P<.01).

These novel findings of atherogenic lipid pattern in women with PCOS is independent of obesity substantiating the higher risk of heart disease in this population.