A new Penn Medicine study, the largest to examine PMOS and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, underscores the need for people with the condition and their clinicians to closely monitor cardiovascular health.
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People with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), may face higher risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) including heart attacks and strokes, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine.
The increased risks are independent of other known risk factors, the researchers find. Published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, the study compiles data from more than 2 million participants and is the largest study to date on PMOS and ASCVD in the United States.
“Our work shows that it is imperative for clinicians to closely track and evaluate cardiovascular health in patients with PMOS,” says senior author Anuja Dokras, the Founders Professor of Women’s Health at Penn and the director of the Penn Polyendrocine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome Center. “It is also important for all individuals with PMOS to care for their heart health and control other factors that can lead to poor cardiovascular health, including smoking, inactivity, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.”
The Penn Medicine researchers confirm that people with PMOS are more likely than those without PMOS to have ASCVD. More importantly, they find that people with PMOS—independent of other risk factors—have an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
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