Abstract:
Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder of women,
often associated with dyslipidemia which increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Understanding and preventing dyslipidemia in PCOS women is crucial for improving their overall
health.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia among women with PCOS attending
Teaching Hospital Jaffna
Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used.
Women diagnosed with PCOS (n=125) through ultra sound scanning were recruited based on
Rotterdam criteria from Gynaecology and Subfertility clinics of teaching hospital Jaffna. Post-
menopausal women and Females under 18 years were excluded. Height and weight were
measured by standard methods; Serum Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), by enzymatic
method; HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) by precipitation method were measured. LDL-Cholesterol
(LDL-C) was calculated by Friedewald formula. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.
Results: The mean±SD age of the women was 29.02±5.46 years. Among them majority were
unemployed (66.4%) and married (88.8%). The mean±SD Body Mass Index of the women was
27.75±5.69 kg/m2
, which was in the obese level (≥27.5 kg/m2
). Of all participants, elevated levels
of TG (≥1.71 mmol/L, 12%), TC (≥5.18 mmol/L, 41.6%), LDL-C (≥2.60 mmol/L, 89.6%), and
91.2% were with low HDL-C (≤1.55 mmol/L). The most common abnormality was raised LDL
coupled with low HDL (82.4%). Combinations of all four abnormal lipid parameters were
observed only in 5.6% of the women while only 1.6% had all measured lipid levels at normal
levels.
Conclusions: The study underscores the high prevalence and varied dyslipidemia patterns among
PCOS women, with 98.4% exhibiting at least one type of dyslipidemia pattern, particularly
elevations in LDL-C and reductions in HDL-C. Further investigation into factors contributing to
dyslipidemia high incidence; customized management and awareness is needed for early detection
of cardiovascular diseases in PCOS women.
