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. 2023 Feb 15:15:289-298.
doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S398651. eCollection 2023.

Association Between Self-Reported Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Chronic Diseases Among Emiratis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the UAE Healthy Future Study

Nirmin F Juber  1 , Abdishakur Abdulle  1 , Abdulla AlJunaibi  2 , Abdulla AlNaeemi  3 , Amar Ahmad  1 , Andrea Leinberger-Jabari  1 , Ayesha S Al Dhaheri  4 , Eiman AlZaabi  5 , Fatma Al-Maskari  6   7 , Fatme AlAnouti  8 , Habiba Alsafar  9   10   11 , Juma Alkaabi  12 , Laila Abdel Wareth  13 , Mai Aljaber  14 , Marina Kazim  15 , Michael Weitzman  16 , Mohammad Al-Houqani  17 , Mohammed Hag-Ali  18 , Naima Oumeziane  15 , Scott Sherman  19 , Syed M Shah  6 , Wael Almahmeed  20 , Youssef Idaghdour  1 , Tom Loney  21 , Omar El-Shahawy  19 , Raghib Ali  1   22
Affiliations

Association Between Self-Reported Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Chronic Diseases Among Emiratis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the UAE Healthy Future Study

Nirmin F Juber et al. Int J Womens Health. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among Emiratis and examine bi-directional associations of PCOS with self-reported chronic diseases, namely: diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Patients and methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) data collected from February 2016 to April 2022 involving 1040 Emirati women aged 25-67 years from recruitment centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The bi-directional associations between self-reported PCOS and self-reported chronic diseases were evaluated by establishing temporality based on reported age-at-diagnoses. Firstly, the associations between PCOS (diagnosed at ≥25 years) and chronic diseases (diagnosed at <25 years) were examined, followed by PCOS (diagnosed at <25 years) and chronic diseases (diagnosed at ≥25 years). Finally, a Poisson regression under unadjusted and age-and-body mass index (BMI) adjusted models was performed to obtain the risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: The prevalence of PCOS in this study was 25.9%. Those with asthma and high cholesterol diagnosed at <25 years had increased risks of PCOS diagnosed at ≥25 years (RR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.17-2.76 for asthma; and RR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.01-2.59 for high cholesterol), compared to those respective healthier counterparts, after adjusting for age and BMI. No significant association was observed between PCOS diagnosed at <25 years and respective chronic diseases diagnosed at ≥25 years.

Conclusion: PCOS prevalence among Emirati women was high. Asthma and high cholesterol in earlier life were associated with PCOS in later life. Understanding how chronic disease conditions and PCOS are associated in bi-directional ways may improve the surveillance of chronic disease conditions among women with PCOS and may also contribute to more targeted PCOS prevention strategies.

Keywords: UAE Healthy Future Study; United Arab Emirates; epidemiology; polycystic ovary syndrome; self-reported diagnosis; women’s health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the final analytical sample included in the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of PCOS by age group among participants in this study (N=1040).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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