The oligomenorrhoic phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome are characterized by a high visceral adiposity index: a likely condition of cardiometabolic risk

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently exhibit central obesity, glucose intolerance, atherogenic dyslipidemia and hypertension, which are characteristic features of a condition of cardiometabolic risk. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between visceral adiposity index (VAI) and phenotypic characteristics in women with PCOS.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional case–control study in our Endocrinology Outpatients Clinic. A total of 220 women with PCOS (Rotterdam definition) and 144 age- and BMI-matched healthy women were studied. We evaluated hyperandrogenemia and clinical hyperandrogenism, ovarian morphology, hypothalamic–hypophyseal axis and metabolic syndrome parameters. An oral glucose tolerance test (75 g glucose) measured areas under the curve (AUC) for insulin (AUC_2h-insulin) and for glucose (AUC_2h-glucose). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, the Matsuda index of insulin resistance and VAI were determined.

RESULTS

Of all the variables examined, at multivariate analysis, only AUC_2h-insulin [odds ratio (OR): 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00–1.00; P = 0.003] and VAI score (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.20–2.73; P = 0.005) showed an independent association with PCOS. All phenotypes with oligomenorrhea showed a higher VAI score than the control group (oligomenorrhea + hyperandrogenism: 2.49 ± 1.46 versus 1.62 ± 0.84, P < 0.001; oligomenorrhea + polycystic ovary morphology: 2.25 ± 1.4 versus 1.62 ± 0.84, P = 0.001; complete phenotype: 2.45 ± 1.63 versus 1.62 ± 0.84, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that VAI could be an easy and useful tool in daily clinical practice and in population studies for the assessment of cardiometabolic risk associated with PCOS.

polycystic ovary syndrome, visceral adiposity index, visceral obesity, oligomenorrhea, cardiometabolic risk