Apnea-hypopnea index in nonobese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: To assess the influence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on respiratory events during sleep in nonobese Taiwanese women. Method: Overnight polysomnography was recorded in 18 nonobese women with PCOS who had not received treatment (body mass index [BMI] 21.7 +/- 0.57, age 29.1 +/- 1.43 years) and in 10 age- and BMI-matched women without PCOS (BMI 20.9 +/- 0.58, age 31.6 +/- 3.87 years). Results: The nonobese women with PCOS had a higher total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) especially during the non-rapid eye movement stage (AHI(NREM)) than the women who did not have PCOS. The women with PCOS had higher serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and this was positively correlated with AHI(REM). Total testosterone level was positively correlated with AHI(NREM), and androstenedione was negatively correlated with AHI(NREM). Conclusion: PCOS was directly linked to increased obstructive respiratory events during sleep in nonobese women in Taiwan. (C) 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.