This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Unfavorable CV risk profile found in women with premature ovarian syndrome
Higher abdominal fat, elevated chronic inflammatory factors and a trend toward increased hypertension and impaired kidney function were found among women with premature ovarian insufficiency compared with healthy controls.
However, an increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis was not found among women with premature ovarian syndrome, according to study researchers.
In the cross-sectional case-control study, Nadine M.P. Daan, MD, of the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, and colleagues evaluated women older than 45 years with previously diagnosed premature ovarian insufficiency (n = 83) and premenopausal controls of a comparable age (n = 266).
Compared with controls, participants with premature ovarian syndrome had higher serum C-reactive protein (beta = 0.75) and free thyroxine levels (beta = 1.5), but lower levels of serum N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (beta = –0.35), testosterone (beta = –0.21), estradiol (beta = –1.98) and androstenedione (beta = –0.54) in fully adjusted models. Participants with premature ovarian syndrome had marginally higher odds of hypertension compared with controls (OR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1-3.07) in the age- and BMI-adjusted model; this did not change after adjustment for additional confounders (OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 0.99-4.56).
Compared with controls, participants with premature ovarian syndrome had lower mean carotid intima-media thickness (beta = –0.17) and lower odds of having plaques (OR = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.03-0.26).
“Women with [premature ovarian insufficiency] exhibited increased cardiovascular risk factors compared to premenopausal women of comparable age in the current investigation,” the researchers wrote. “However, we observed no increased subclinical atherosclerosis in women with [premature ovarian insufficiency], compared to controls. Previous meta-analyses have reported an increased risk of CVD events in women with [premature ovarian insufficiency]. Additional studies focusing on subclinical or manifest CVD at a later age are required to identify specific determinants of CVD risk in women with [premature ovarian insufficiency], in order to improve counseling of these women concerning their individual risk of developing actual CVD in the future.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: Daan reports receiving a grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.