Visceral fat and cardiovascular risk in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered a sex-specific form of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Visceral obesity is one of the main diagnostic criteria for the MetS. Patients with MetS have a significantly higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). PCOS is the most common endocrine-metabolic disease of reproductive-age women and PCOS patients are predisposed to an androgen adiposity phenotype, characterized by a prevalent fat accumulation in the abdominal area, and by insulin resistance. PCOS women are exposed to a cluster of metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors from a young age, and therefore PCOS patients might represent a high-risk group for developing early-onset CVD. Early signs of CVD have been reported in PCOS patients and correlated to the amount of visceral fat. Visceral fat might represent a new prognostic and therapeutic target to define the cardiovascular risk profile and prevent CVD in PCOS patients.