Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to compare body composition, metabolic characteristics, and insulin resistance between obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m) polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and nonobese PCOS (BMI

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 81 PCOS women (Rotterdam criteria) (obese - 42; nonobese - 39) and 86 controls (obese - 42; nonobese -44) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. All women underwent a detailed assessment of clinical, anthropometric, and metabolic parameters, insulin resistance indices, and body composition measurements with visceral adipose tissue assessment (VAT) (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan).

RESULTS: Of PCOS women, 27% (80% - obese PCOS; 20% - nonobese PCOS) were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (International Diabetes Federation criteria), 35% of PCOS women (46% - obese PCOS; 54% - nonobese PCOS) had impaired glucose tolerance, and 7% of PCOS women (2/3 - obese PCOS; 1/3 - nonobese PCOS) had diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance was seen in about 80% in obese PCOS women and 20% in nonobese PCOS women based on various insulin resistance indices such as fasting insulin (≥12.2 μU/ml), Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (≥2.5), and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (

CONCLUSION: Both obese and nonobese PCOS women when compared with their age- and BMI-matched controls were metabolically worse and had more visceral adiposity. Nonobese PCOS poses similar risk as that of obese PCOS in having similar amount of VAT (corrected for body weight).