Study Links PMOS with Fourfold Heart Disease Risk

JAKARTA - Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome or PMOS are recorded to have a fourfold higher risk of heart disease than those who do not have the condition.

The Independent, quoted Tuesday, July 21, said the findings came from a study of 413,450 women with PMOS aged 18 to 50 in the United States. Their health insurance data from 2000 to 2022 was compared with more than two million women without PMOS.

The association remained after researchers took into account other risk factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

The research was published in the journal The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health.

Because it uses health data, this study shows a relationship. The findings have not proved that PMOS directly causes heart disease.

PMOS is a hormonal and metabolic disorder previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. It is estimated that around one in eight women in the UK suffer from this condition.

PMOS can affect menstruation, hair growth, weight, fertility, mood, and skin conditions.

Experts are pushing for a change in the name of PCOS to PMOS because the old term is considered to emphasize too much on cysts and ovaries. This misunderstanding is said to make the diagnosis late.

The Independent also said that international guidelines recommend screening for heart disease risk when patients are first diagnosed with PMOS. Patients also need to be given an explanation about lifestyle changes and the risk of other diseases in the long term.

However, patient surveys show that diagnoses are still often late. Many women also admit to being dissatisfied with explanations about long-term health risks.

"Our study results confirm the need for education for doctors and increased patient awareness of the risk of cardiovascular disease so that early prevention efforts can be implemented better," wrote the researchers.

Cardiovascular disease is a disorder that attacks the heart and blood vessels.

The research team asked for further studies that follow women's conditions until menopause. They also want to know if GLP-1 drugs or hormonal contraceptives affect the relationship between PMOS and heart disease.

According to the NHS, the UK's public health service, PMOS can be recognized by a number of symptoms.

Symptoms can include irregular menstruation, excessive hair growth, hair loss, weight gain, difficulty losing weight, difficulty getting pregnant, depression, anxiety, oily skin, acne, and extreme fatigue.

Other symptoms are thickened and darkened skin patches, especially on the neck or armpits. This condition is called acanthosis nigricans.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or NICE, the agency that compiles health guidelines in the UK, recommends that women with PMOS be examined by health professionals every year to monitor symptoms and manage long-term risks.

NICE estimates that PMOS affects around three to four million women in the UK. However, many cases are said to be undiagnosed and their management is not uniform.