Is there a correlation between heart rate recovery and androgen parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome? Heart rate recovery in polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: In our preliminary study, we assessed heart rate recovery (HRR) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls by subjecting them to moderate exercise and estimating androgen levels, and examined the correlation between HRR and androgen levels. Methods: 30 newly diagnosed cases of PCOS and 30 controls with comparable anthropometric measurements performed isotonic moderate exercise. Serum testosterone and DHEAS levels were measured. The HRR was calculated as the difference between the maximum heart rate and the 1st, 5th and 10th minute after the end of the exercise. Results: Heart rate recovery at 1 minute (p=0.001) and 5 minutes, (p=0.002) was significantly impaired in PCOS patients. Testosterone (p=0.100) and DHEAS (p=0.061) were elevated in PCOS patients compared to normal controls, although this was not statistically significant. A positive correlation was observed between HRR and androgen levels (testosterone: r=0.318; p=0.08, DHEAS: r=0.064; p=0.07). Conclusion: Decreased cardiovascular fitness and increased androgen levels have been observed in PCOS patients. Impaired HRR, reflecting sympathetic overactivity, has also been observed in newly diagnosed cases of PCOS. We therefore suggest that HRR is an accurate and sensitive marker to detect early signs of cardiovascular impairment and enables timely measures to avoid further morbidity.