A Case-controlled Comparative Hospital-based Study on the Clinical, Biochemical, Hormonal, and Gynaecological Parameters in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical, biochemical, hormonal and gynaecological aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome at a hospital in South India. The observational, case-controlled study was conducted from April 2011 to January 2014 and recruited 192 polycystic ovary syndrome patients and 205 normal women. Clinical history and biochemical and hormonal analysis were carried out. Correlation was tested between testosterone and other clinical findings. Variables were further analysed using logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. About 16% of polycystic ovary syndrome women were obese and 91% reported to have an increased waist/hip ratio. Oligomenorrhea was observed in 74% women with polycystic ovary syndrome. The tested variables revealed that body mass index, waist/hip ratio, hirsutism, testosterone, insulin, ovarian volume and follicular count were elevated in polycystic ovary syndrome patients compared to the control subjects. Increased testosterone levels correlated positively with luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (p=0.023), hirsutism (p=0.001) and antral follicular count (p=0.004) in polycystic ovary syndrome patients in the studied population. Waist/hip ratio could possibly be a better risk indicator than body mass index. Increased testosterone levels, ovarian volume and antral follicular count or combination of these have been considered to be risk factors in developing polycystic ovary syndrome patients.