PMOS linked to four-fold higher risk of heart disease, study finds
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Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), face a four-fold higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than women without the condition, according to a new study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health.
Researchers analysed health insurance records of more than 413,000 women aged 18 to 50 years with PMOS and compared them with over 2 million women without the condition.
The study found that women with PMOS had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease even after accounting for common risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, suggesting the condition itself may independently increase heart disease risk.
Senior author Anuja Dokras, Founders Professor of Women's Health at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Penn PMOS Center, said the findings highlight the need for clinicians to closely monitor cardiovascular health in women with PMOS.
She also advised women with the condition to address other heart disease risk factors, including smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.
PMOS is a hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Common symptoms include irregular or absent periods, excess facial or body hair, acne, weight gain, thinning scalp hair and difficulty conceiving.
Researchers said PMOS is associated with insulin resistance, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure and chronic low-grade inflammation, all of which can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke over time.
The study said the risk may be higher in women with PMOS who also have excess body weight, diabetes or prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease, smoking habits or a sedentary lifestyle.
Experts recommend maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, getting adequate sleep and managing blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.