A study on clinical and sonographic features in obese and nonobese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine metabolic dysfunction closely associated with obesity, which predisposes to pregnancy complications. PCOS is a common endocrine disorder affecting 5-10% of the population. It is characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism with clinical manifestations of oligomenorrhea, hirsutism and acne. Obese females are at higher risk for metabolic syndrome due to severe hyperandrogenemia, which also leads to high blood pressure. To determine, among patients with PCOS, the correlation of body mass index (BMI) with (1) the clinical manifestations of PCOS and (2) blood pressure. We performed a cross-sectional study of 62 women of reproductive age (29-43 years), who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at King Fahd National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the confirmed diagnosis of PCOS. These patients were divided into two BMI groups: nonobese (BMI less than 25 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI more than 25 kg/m(2)). Patients' waist to hip ratio, acne, hirsutism, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also recorded as clinical manifestations in PCOS and compared between the two BMI groups. The mean age of the patients was 35.85 +/- A 5.03 years, BMI was 31.91 +/- A 6.40 kg/m(2), waist-hip ratio was 0.82 +/- A 0.067, Ferriman and Gallway's score for hirsutism was 3.63 +/- A 4.35, systolic blood pressure was 113.02 +/- A 16.10 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure was 71.79 +/- A 10.04 mmHg, and acne was present in 24 cases (38.7%). When the groups were compared according to BMI, a significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively) was seen in obese patients, but there was no significant rise in the waist-hip ratio and hirsutism score. We observed a significant and progressive effect of BMI on clinical manifestations and blood pressure levels in patients with PCOS.