Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by chronic anovulation and hypergonadism that affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Patients with this syndrome are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in future. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of PCOS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: One hundred consecutive women under 45 years of age with type 2 diabetes treated with diet or hypoglycemic drugs, referring to Kerman Diabetic Center, Kerman, Iran, in 2005 were identified. Patients with galactorrhea or history of thyroid dysfunction were excluded from the study. Data were collected through questionnaire-based interviews and were then analyzed.
Results: Ninety two women, of which 18 (19.5%) had clinical symptoms of PCOS, enrolled in the study. The mean age of subjects was 38.8 +/- 5.9 years. We found no significant relation between PCOS and familial type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.19 +/- 4.44 kg/m(2) in patients with PCOS and 26.06 +/- 3.83 kg/m(2) in non-PCOS patients (p = 0.043). The prevalence of abdominal obesity was higher among PCOS patients than non-PCOS patients (38.9% vs. 14.8%, p = 0.011).
Conclusion: In our study, abdominal obesity was more among type 2 diabetic women with PCOS. Therefore, central or abdominal obesity might be considered as an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes in women with PCOS.