Title: Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Saudi Women and its components with
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; AA Rouzi1 and MSM Ardawi2, Obstetrics and
Gynecology1 and Departments of Clinical Biochemistry2, Faculty of Medicine, King
Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MBS) and its
components in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as compared with women
without PCOS and to evaluate the role of insulin resistance (IR) in the development of MBS.
Design: A prospective Case Control Study.
Setting: Tertiary Referral University Hospital.
Subjects: Five hundreds and eighty Saudi women living in the Jeddah area were classified as
follows: 290 with PCOS and 290 age-matched women without PCOS.
Interventions: Blood samples were collected from all women with or without PCOS
between 8:00-11:00, after an overnight fast.
Main Outcome Measures: Clinical and biochemical parameters for MBS as defined by the
National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III) together
with indices of IR including: fasting serum insulin, GIR and HOMA.
Results: Age-adjusted prevalence of MBS was higher in women with PCOS (52.3%, 95%
CI: 36.5-60.1%) as compared with women without PCOS (14.7%, 95% CI: 11.2-20.6%)
(P<0.000). The risk of MBS in women with PCOS was greater than that for women without
PCOS of the same age group (P<0.001). The most common abnormalities in the components
of MBS in women with PCOS and MBS (after adjustment for age) were: decreased HDL-c
(< 50 mg/dl) (83.9 ± 10.4%); increased triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dl) (51.8 ± 12.2%); and
increased BMI (37.1 ± 6.7%), respectively. The prevalence of MBS from lowest to highest
tertile of free Testosterone level was 21.5, 35.7 and 52.3% respectively in women with
PCOS and MBS. In women with PCOS, 8% exhibited all 5 components of MBS; 13.1% had
4 components, and 42.6% had 3 components. Markers of IR (fasting serum insulin, GIR and
HOMA) were significantly abnormal in women with PCOS and with MBS as compared with
those without MBS (P<0.001).
1
Conclusions: Women with PCOS showed significantly higher prevalence of MBS (3.5-fold)
as compared with age-matched control without PCOS. IR is a possible common pathogenetic
factor among women with PCOS and the MBS. It is suggested that intensive screening and/or
therapy of MBS among women with PCOS should be part of the management modalities of
PCOS.
2