The evaluation of endothelial function and structure in hirsute patients in reproductive age

The association between depression and anxiety with female sexual function in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND

PCOS and its associated symptoms might be related to anxiety and depressive symptoms which may influence sexual function.

AIM

To investigate the association between depression and anxiety with female sexual function among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) during reproductive age.

METHODS

The study group included 268 women with PCOS and 158 women without PCOS between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Serum testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrostenedione sulfate (DHEA-S), fasting glucose, sex-hormone binding globulin, and fasting insulin levels were analyzed. The McCoy Female Sexual Questionnaire (MFSQ), and Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories (BAI and BDI) were distributed to women with PCOS and controls.

OUTCOMES

MFSQ, BDI, and BAI scores were compared between women with PCOS and controls.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference between the PCOS and non-PCOS groups when BDI (18.92 ± 11.09 vs 10.20 ± 8.66, p = 0.001) and BAI (12.45 ± 9.67 vs 8.08 ± 8.90, p = 0.001) subgroups were compared. A weak negative correlation was present between McCoy's sexuality domain (r = -0.304), McCoy's Sexual partner domain (r = -0.215), and BAI score among PCOS women. A moderate negative correlation between McCoy's sexuality domain (r = -0.515), and a weak correlation between McCoy's Sexual partner domain (r = -0.271) and BDI score among PCOS women were found.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Women with PCOS report more severe depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction than non-PCOS women.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

Socio-cultural identity, awareness, perceptions of body image, and interpersonal relations were not investigated in the current study. These play a role in the interactions between sexual dysfunction and mood disorder. The strength of our study was that the prevalence of PCOS features was different between the various depression and anxiety subgroups.

CONCLUSION

The women with PCOS were more likely to have moderate-severe anxiety and moderate-severe depression while their mean total scores of the two domains of MFSQ were lower when compared to non-PCOS women.

The association between female sexual function and metabolic features of the polycystic ovary syndrome in Turkish women of reproductive age

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between female sexual function and metabolic features among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) during reproductive age.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional study in which 288 women with PCOS and 180 women without PCOS between the ages of 20 and 40 years were evaluated. All women had serum total testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA-S, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels analyzed. The McCoy Female Sexual Questionnaire (MFSQ) was applied to all studied women. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were done after data collection. The factor loadings of MFSQ domains were compared between women with PCOS and controls.

RESULTS

Average factor loadings of the MFSQ sexuality domain and MFSQ sexual partner domain were significantly lower in the PCOS group when compared to controls. There was no correlation between the two sexual function domains of the MFSQ and the PCOS features either in the PCOS group or the controls.

CONCLUSION

PCOS is a heterogeneous disease with different metabolic components, such as insulin resistance, obesity, and hyperandrogenism. Although sexual function among women with PCOS was lower than controls, no differences were found in metabolic features of the PCOS and non-PCOS groups with relation to sexual function determined by the MFSQ.

The effect of PCOS status on atherosclerosis markers and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young women with vitamin D deficiency

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had further deteriorating influence on endothelial function or cardiometabolic parameters in women with vitamin D deficiency during reproductive age.

STUDY DESIGN

The study group was composed of women with PCOS and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Age and body mass index (BMI)-matched women were chosen as controls. Serum 25(OH) Vit D levels below 20 ng/mL were considered as vitamin D deficiency. The cutoff level of vitamin D insufficiency was suggested at 30 ng/mL. Serum FSH, LH, estradiol, testosterone, DHEA-S, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglyceride levels were analyzed. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured, and the flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was calculated.

RESULTS

CIMT and FMD values in both vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency subgroups showed no significant difference between PCOS and non-PCOS groups. There was a weak negative correlation between BMI, waist/hip ratio, CRP, and 25(OH) Vitamin D.

CONCLUSION

PCOS is a heterogeneous disease with different combinations of the diagnostic components. Vitamin D is an important variable for a healthy cardiovascular system. We did not find any difference in early atherosclerotic markers and cardiometabolic features between PCOS and non-PCOS group with Vitamin D deficiency.

Sexual function through decades: association with androgens and cardiometabolic features

Aim: This study aimed to determine the change in sexual function among Turkish women through decades and to define the association between sexual dysfunction and androgens and cardiometabolic features.Materials and methods: A total of 206 postmenopausal women aged 50-69 years and 210 premenopausal women aged 30-49 years who applied to menopause and gynecology clinics at a university-affiliated education and research hospital were included in this prospective study. Groups were constructed according to decades (i.e., 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years). Sexual function was assessed between the groups, using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Cardiometabolic features and androgen levels were also compared between the groups.Results: Sexual function determined at each decade by FSFI scores were 27.18, 23.11, 18.40, and 11.35, respectively (fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh decade). Desire, arousal, and satisfaction domains tended to be lower in the 40s than in the 30s. As time passes after the 30s, the total FSFI score decreased until the late 60s. Serum total testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrostenedione sulfate (DHEAS) levels decreased through the decades. There was no correlation between cardiometabolic features, androgens, and FSFI scores.Conclusion: According to our survey, sexual function decreases starting at the age of 30 and continues to drop until the late 60s among postmenopausal women. There was no association between sexual dysfunction and androgen levels in premenopausal women. The serum DHEAS level was associated with sexual dysfunction only among postmenopausal women. There was no association between sexual dysfunction and cardiometabolic features in either premenopausal or postmenopausal women.