Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with P-wave prolongation and increased P-wave dispersion

Background: The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with various cardiac manifestations including cardiac arrhythmias. P-wave dispersion (P-dis) is an appealing marker for predicting the risk of developing atrial arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to evaluate P-wave durations and P-dis in patients with PCOS. Methods: Forty adult patients with PCOS and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were included in this study. P-wave maximum duration (P-max) and P-wave minimum duration (P-min) were calculated on the 12-lead electrocardiogram, and the difference between the P-max and the P-min was defined as P-dis. All individuals also underwent transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation. Results: P-max and P-dis were significantly higher in patients with PCOS compared with controls (p=0.007, p<0.001, respectively). There was no difference in P-min duration between both the groups (p=0.2). Waist-to-hip ratio, insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were higher in the PCOS group. Early mitral inflow deceleration time (DT) (p<0.001) and isovolumetric relaxation time (p=0.003) were longer in PCOS group. Waist-to-hip ratio, DT, E/A ratio and diastolic blood pressure correlated with P-dis. Conclusions: Patients with PCOS have prolonged P-max and P-dis. The increase in those parameters may be an indicator for identification of patients at increased risk of atrial fibrillation.