Association of biochemical hyperandrogenism with type 2 diabetes and obesity in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of hyperandrogenism on metabolic disorders among patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the clinical records of 883 women with PCOS and 717 premenopausal controls identified from the general population.

RESULTS

A total of 686 (77.7%) patients were classified with PCOS based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria, and 164 out of 197 (83.2%) additional patients had no hyperandrogenism. Women with normal androgen levels exhibited lower frequencies of obesity, type 2 diabetes, acanthosis nigricans, genetic history of diabetes, and elevated Matsuda index compared with hyperandrogenic patients. Hyperandrogenemia, but not hirsutism, was independently associated with the risk for type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 5.7; P=0.028) and obesity (OR 1.7; P=0.005) among Chinese patients with PCOS.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperandrogenemia is associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity in Chinese women with PCOS and should be considered at first-line management of hyperandrogenism and infertility due to PCOS.