Results of a cross-sectional study detail characteristics among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who develop type 2 diabetes.
Prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Macedonia is not as high as rates seen in Western countries, according to results of a cross-sectional study.
PCOS, a metabolic reproductive disorder, “is the most common endocrine disease affecting from 3% to 16% of women of reproductive age,” researchers explained. Although the exact pathophysiology is unknown, previous studies have indicated hyperinsulinemia is secondary to insulin resistance (IR) and could play an important role in the syndrome’s pathogenesis.
Women with PCOS have also exhibited beta cell dysfunction; this symptom, in addition to IR, contributes to the development of T2D. “Furthermore, the risk for [T2D] in women with PCOS is estimated to be 5 to 10-fold higher than factors including age and weight, when compared with the normal control population,” the authors wrote.
To better understand the prevalence of IGT and T2D among Macedonian women with diagnosed PCOS and to identify potential predictors of abnormal glucose tolerance, the researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 80 women who presented to the University Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders in Skopje, Macedonia.
All participants completed the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Individuals were all of reproductive age, did not have chronic disease, and did not take any oral contraceptive or other forms of hormonal contraception or fertility treatments.
Analyses revealed:
Overall, findings are “in line with the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in Italian and European women with PCOS,” while “different studies from the literature show that IGT was present in 35% of US women and 47% of Asian obese women and in low to moderate weight women from Europe, at first clinical examination,” the researchers said.
Different findings could be due to factors such as age, BMI, ethnicity, and the impact of dietary factors on enrolled patients. As results indicate age has an independent effect on 2-hour post load glucose from OGTT, the investigators noted clinicians should keep this factor in mind.
In addition, “obesity has a crucial role in the development and maintaining of PCOS, and it significantly influences the severity of metabolic abnormalities. Obesity is also a major modifiable risk factor for [T2D] in women with PCOS,” they added.
“Close monitoring of older, obese women with low SHBG is needed because there is a higher risk of developing IGT and [T2D] in these kinds of patients,” the authors concluded.
Reference
Krstevska B, Mishevska SJ, Nakova VV, Serafimoski V. Prevalence and predictors of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus type 2 in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Prilozi. 2021;42(2):61-70 doi:10.2478/prilozi-2021-0022
Research Points to Potential MCIDs in Diabetes Distress Scale–17
November 29th 2023Researchers identified a value of at least 0.25 to be a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in diabetes distress, and MCID values of 0.38 and 0.39 for emotional and interpersonal distress subscales and physician and regimen distress subscales, respectively.
Read More
How Can Employers Leverage the DPP to Improve Diabetes Rates?
February 15th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Jill Hutt, vice president of member services at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, explains the Coalition’s efforts to reduce diabetes rates through the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
Listen
Balancing Care Access and Fragmentation for Better Outcomes in Veterans With Diabetes
April 22nd 2021The authors of a study in the April 2021 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® discuss the possible reasons behind the link between care fragmentation and hospitalizations in veterans with diabetes, as well as potential opportunities to address disjointed care in the context of the widespread telehealth uptake seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen