Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) before menopause appear to have a greater risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular events after menopause, according to findings presented Saturday, October 17, at the virtual American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2020 Scientific Congress.
"We found a PCOS diagnosis prior to menopause was associated with a 64% increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause independent of age at enrollment, race, body mass index, and smoking status," presenter Jacob Christ, MD, a resident at the University of Washington in Seattle, told attendees. "Taken together, our results suggest that women with PCOS have more risk factors for future cardiovascular disease at baseline, and a present PCOS diagnosis prior to menopause is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause."
Dr Jacob Christ
The results are important to consider in women seeking care related to fertility, according to Amanda N. Kallen, MD, an assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
"As fertility specialists, we often see women with PCOS visit us when they are having trouble conceiving, but often [they] do not return to our care once they've built their family," said Kallen, who was not involved in the research.
