Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Conflicting findings have been published regarding the pressure wave reflection and the arterial stiffness in young women with PCOS as opposed to the overt ab initio presence of endothelial dysfunction compared with controls which can be reversed six months after metformin administration. The aim of this study was to investigate arterial stiffness and wave reflections in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with respects to the different weight and to evaluate the effect of metformin treatment on the aforementioned indices.

Methods: Sixty–four young women, 35 with PCOS (P) (20 lean (L), PL; 15 overweight/obese (O<SUB>WB[/SUB>), P<SUB>OW/OB[/SUB>) and 29 (18CL; 11 C<SUB>OWB[/SUB>) normal women were studied. Wave reflectionwas studied by the Augmentation Index (AI) as central augmentation pressure–to–pulse height ratio at heart rate (HR) 75 (C_AGPH_HR75) or without HR correctionC_AGPH and the central augmentation time index (C_ATI), bpm and biochemically by advanced glycated end–products (AGEs). Endothelial function was studied biochemically byplasma endothelin 1 (ET–1) levels. The metabolic and hormonal profile was assessed. Metformin (1700 mg daily) was administered for six months in 20 (9 lean and 11 obese) women with PCOS and the above evaluations were repeated.

Results: There was no significant difference in age among the two groups. Wave reflection sindices did not differ between PCOS and controls, but C_AGPH_HR75 significantly improved post–metformin treatment in POW/OB (P = 0.046). AGEs differed between PCOS women groups and controls groups (P < 0.001) but their values did not normalize after metformin treatment. Testosterone levels were higher in PCOS compared to control women and MATSUDA index values were lower in PCOS compared to control women but without normalization of their values post–metformin treatment. ET–1 levels did not differ between PCOS and controls, but significantly improved post–metformin treatment in both lean and obese PCOS groups (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively).

Conclusions: Wave reflections markers seem to be a covert negative predictor in PCOS but that ameliorate post–metformin treatment particularly in overweight/obese PCOS women.