Investigation of relationship between cardiovascular risk factors including obesity, cigarette smoking and dyslipidemia and androgen levels in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent disorder, representing the single most common endocrine-metabolic disorder in reproductive-aged women. Adolescents and reproductive aged women with PCOS have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. These include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. As it is well established by the diagnostic Rotterdam Criteria; hyperandrogenism and hyperandrogenemia are one of the features of PCOS. This retrospective research was conducted on 92 PCOS patients (age 15-45) who attended Yeditepe University Hospital from 2020 until 2022 to check if there is a correlation between the rising androgens; dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), Androstenedione (A4), total testosterone (tT), free testosterone (fT), free androgen index (FAI) and cardiovascular risk factors. Patients were grouped based on smoking habits, (smokers and non-smokers), obesity (body mass index (BMI) < 23 normal weight and > 23 overweight), and based on both smoking and obesity into four groups; non-smoker nonobese (0), smoker nonobese (1), obese non-smoker (2) and smoker obese (3). Spearman's Rho was conducted to check for monotonic relationship low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol with the four androgen groups. P value of 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant and Data was analysed using SPSS version 29.00. The Mann-Whitney U test that was conducted between smokers and non-smokers showed that; fT, tT, and FAI was higher in smokers than non-smokers, however, no difference in DHEAS and A4. The Mann-Whitney U test between obese and non-obese showed that FAI was significantly higher in obese than non-obese patients. Kruskal Wallis showed no difference in fT, tT and FAI across the four groups. Post hoc analysis showed group 1 had higher fT than group 0, group 3 had higher fT than group 0. Group 1 also had higher tT than group 0. Group 1 also had higher FAI than group 0, group 3 also had higher FAI than group 0. There was no significant correlation between rising androgens and lipids.