The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was related to insulin resistance/compensatory hyperinsulinemia and to a major prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). There is controversy whether hyperinsulinemia in PCOS is obesity-dependent or not. In the present study, hormonal aspects and metabolic profile were evaluated in hirsute patients with PCOS in comparison with patients with idiopathic hirsutism (IH), stratified according to body mass index (BMI <= or > 25kg/m²). Androgens, SHBG, gonadotropins as well as glucose, lipids and lipoproteins, insulin and proinsulin were measured. A 75g glucose oral tolerance test was also performed to evaluate the glucose and insulin curves. We conclude that patients with PCOS and BMI > 25kg/m² presented higher prevalence of abdominal obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hypertrygliceridemia and IGT and DM2 when compared to PCOS patients with BMI <= 25kg/m² and with the control group of IH women.
Hyperinsulinemia; Hirsutism; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Diabetes mellitus; Obesity
