Common Hormonal Disorder Increases Disease and Hospitalization Risk

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) face an elevated risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, reproductive disorders, and endometrial cancer, according to recent study results.

The study, published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, examined the health records of 2566 women 15 years and older who were diagnosed with PCOS between 1997 and 2011, comparing them with the hospitalization records of 25,660 women of similar ages. All participants’ hospitalization records were tracked until the women reached a median age of 35.8 years.

An analysis of the data found that women who were diagnosed with PCOS were more likely to have miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, irregular menstrual periods, endometriosis, and other gynecologic conditions. The hormonal disorder was also associated with a higher rate of endometrial cancer.

Additionally, women with PCOS were more likely to be hospitalized for reasons unrelated to reproductive health or injury, such as mental health disorders, and a PCOS diagnosis was associated with a heightened risk of late-onset diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, and musculoskeletal disorders.

“Our study indicates women who have PCOS have twice as many hospital admissions as women without the condition,” said study coauthor Roger Hart, MD, in a press release.