Hormonal health PMOS could increase heart disease risk, study finds

Women with PMOS may have a fourfold higher risk of heart disease, new research suggests. PMOS, or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, is a complex hormone condition affecting about one in eight women in the UK. It can affect hair growth, periods, fertility and mood.

US researchers analysed health insurance data collected between 2000 and 2022 from 413,450 women with PMOS aged 18 to 50. They compared the group with more than two million women who did not have the condition.

The study found that women with PMOS had a fourfold higher risk of heart disease than those without it. The increased risk remained after researchers accounted for other factors linked to heart disease, including high blood pressure and diabetes. International PMOS guidelines recommend screening all patients for heart disease risk at diagnosis and providing advice on lifestyle changes. However, researchers said patient surveys "report delayed diagnosis and substantial dissatisfaction with counselling regarding long-term comorbidities".

Comorbidities are additional health conditions that occur alongside a main condition. Researchers added: "Our results emphasise the need for physician education and patient awareness of cardiovascular disease risk to improve implementation of early preventive interventions."

The team called for further studies following women through menopause, when periods stop. They also called for research into whether treatments such as GLP-1 drugs or hormonal contraception affect the link between PMOS and heart disease. GLP-1 drugs are medicines used for conditions including type 2 diabetes and weight management.

The main symptoms of PMOS include irregular periods or long gaps between periods, excessive hair growth or hair loss, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, and difficulty becoming pregnant.

Other symptoms include depression or anxiety, oily skin and acne, tiredness, and thick, dark patches of skin on the neck or armpits, known as acanthosis nigricans. Until recently, PMOS was known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. Experts called for the name change after highlighting that misunderstandings about cysts and too much focus on the ovaries were delaying diagnoses.

Earlier this month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said women with PMOS should be seen by health professionals annually to monitor symptoms and manage long-term risks. NICE said the condition affects between three and four million women in the UK but is "frequently underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed".

With thanks to our media partner, FemTech World, for providing this article.