Cardiovascular risk in normal weight, eumenorrheic, nonhirsute daughters of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot study

Abstract

Objective: To verify whether healthy daughters with polycystic ovaries (PCO) of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in comparison with healthy controls.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: University hospital.

Patient(s): Seventeen eumenorrheic daughters with PCO of patients with PCOS (group 1) and 20 healthy volunteers (group 2) with regular ovulatory cycles.

Intervention(s): Fasting blood sampling, ultrasonographic and Doppler analyses, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Main outcome measure(s): Medical examination; blood measurement of nitrites and nitrates, biochemical and hormonal parameters; utero-ovarian ultrasonographic analysis and color Doppler evaluation of uterine and stromal ovarian arteries; brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilatation; 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed to analyze glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels.

Result(s): At Doppler analysis a significantly higher uterine and a lower ovarian artery pulsatility index was found in group 1 compared with group 2. The brachial artery diameter, after the reactive hyperemia, showed a greater vasodilatation in controls in comparison with women with PCO. The 24-hour blood pressure monitoring demonstrated that patients with PCO have significant higher 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime diastolic and mean arterial pressure values than controls. The nitrites and nitrates plasma levels were lower in group 1 compared with group 2. The glucose and insulin plasma values were higher in patients with PCO than in controls.

Conclusion(s): Eumenorrheic nonhirsute daughters of patients with PCOS who have PCO appearance on ultrasound have an increased cardiovascular risk.