Insulin Resistance, Hyperandrogenism, and Its Associated Symptoms Are the Precipitating Factors for Depression in Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Prevalence of depression among women with polycystic ovary syndrome in mainland China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a prevalent endocrine disorder among women, is frequently comorbid with depression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression among women with PCOS in mainland China.

METHOD

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Chinese databases (CNKI, WanFang, and VIP) up to August 2024. Random-effects models were applied to estimate the pooled prevalence of depression with 95% confidence intervals. The methodological quality assessment was assessed using the risk of bias tool. The primary outcome was the pooled prevalence of depression in women with PCOS.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine studies encompassing 9796 participants were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of depression was 37% (95% CI, 29%-44%), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 96%, p < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, the prevalence of depression among women with PCOS in West, Central, East, and Northeast China was 37%, 37%, 38%, and 25%, respectively. The prevalence of depression among women with PCOS surveyed before and after 2015 was 40% and 35%, respectively. The prevalence of depression among women with PCOS aged < 26 and > / = 26 years were 42% and 33%, respectively. The prevalence of depression among women with PCOS that participants' BMI < 24 and > / = 24 kg/m2 were 38% and 34%, respectively. The prevalence of depression among women with PCOS that used Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were 40%, 34%, 31%, and 24%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression confirmed the stability of the findings. Evidence of publication bias was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of depression among women with PCOS in China underscores the need for integrated screening and management. The results of this meta-analysis show high heterogeneity and indicate publication bias, which reduces the generalizability of the findings. Future research should address heterogeneity and enhance the applicability of results.

Is polycystic ovary syndrome a risk factor for depression and anxiety?: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to learn more about the prevalence and pathophysiology of depression and anxiety that may be caused by polycystic ovary syndrome and to make plans for taking necessary precautions for this vulnerable group.

METHODS

This case-control study was conducted between January 2022 and October 2022. A total of 120 women with polycystic ovary syndrome and 143 controls were included in the study. All healthy volunteers and women with polycystic ovary syndrome were evaluated using self-administered questionnaires and physical examination. Anthropometric data such as weight and height and laboratory value were documented.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of demographic characteristics. When the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores of both groups were compared, both depression and anxiety scores were found to be significantly higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared with the control group (OR: 3.319, 95%CI, 1.563-7.047, p<0.001 and OR: 3.238, 95%CI, 1.659-6.315, p<0.001). In the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire, the rate of irregular menstruation and Ferriman-Gallwey score were statistically significant in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with high depression and anxiety scores. While serum LH levels and LH/FSH ratios were significantly different in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with high depression scores, serum LH, LH:FSH ratios, and serum total testosterone levels were found significant in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with high anxiety scores.

CONCLUSION

It is clear that depression and anxiety are more common in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome than in healthy women. Our findings support previous recommendations regarding routine screening for depression and anxiety in this population.

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Hospital of Islamabad, Pakistan

Background Depression and anxiety are common psychological conditions associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is important to understand the role of various demographic and socio-economic factors that contribute to the development of these psychological conditions. Objectives The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in women with PCOS and to find the association of various demographic and socio-economic factors with anxiety and depression. Methods This was a single-center cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, from May 2021 to August 2022. All female patients, aged 18 to 40 years and diagnosed with PCOS, who presented to the department of Gynecology during the study period were eligible to be enrolled in the study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) was used to determine the level of anxiety and depression in the participants. HADS comprises 14 items scored on a Likert scale ranging from 0 to 3. Seven items correspond to depression and anxiety each. The scores range from 0 to 21 for both domains. A score of 7 or less was considered normal, 8-10 as borderline, and 11 or above as abnormal for both anxiety and depression. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results A total of 74 patients with PCOS were included in the study. The mean age of all the participants was 26.8 ± 5.2 and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.7 ± 5.4. The presence of PCOS-related symptoms was observed in all 74 cases. Menstrual cycle abnormalities were the most common symptom, which was present in 57 (77.0%) cases, followed by weight gain, which was present in 50 (67.6%) cases, and hirsutism, which was present in 41 (55.4%) cases. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were present only in three (4.1%) and two (2.7%) cases, respectively, and positive family history of depression and/or anxiety was reported by 20 (27%) cases. The mean HAD score was 7 ± 3.8 for depression and 8 ± 3.7 for anxiety. Depression was diagnosed in 13 (17.6%) cases, and anxiety was diagnosed in 15 (20.3%) cases. Depression was found to be significantly associated with BMI (p = 0.015), level of education (p = 0.033), and monthly household income (p = 0.004). Anxiety was found to be associated with employment status (p = 0.009) and current pregnancy (p = 0.007). Rest of the factors such as age, marital status, ethnicity, menstrual irregularities, comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and a family history of PCOS, anxiety, or depression did not show statistically significant association with either anxiety or depression (p < 0.05). Conclusion Anxiety and depression are common in patients with PCOS. These psychological conditions are associated with various demographic and socio-economic factors such as BMI, level of education, monthly household income, employment status, and pregnancy. It is recommended to involve a multidisciplinary team while managing patients with PCOS to timely identify and treat these psychological conditions in these patients.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation as a potential novel treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age. The etiology of PCOS is multifactorial, and current treatments for PCOS are far from satisfactory. Recently, an imbalanced autonomic nervous system (ANS) with sympathetic hyperactivity and reduced parasympathetic nerve activity (vagal tone) has aroused increasing attention in the pathogenesis of PCOS. In this paper, we review an innovative therapy for the treatment of PCOS and related co-morbidities by targeting parasympathetic modulation based on non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (ta-VNS). In this work, we present the role of the ANS in the development of PCOS and describe a large number of experimental and clinical reports that support the favorable effects of VNS/ta-VNS in treating a variety of symptoms, including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, inflammation, microbiome dysregulation, cardiovascular disease, and depression, all of which are also commonly present in PCOS patients. We propose a model focusing on ta-VNS that may treat PCOS by (1) regulating energy metabolism via bidirectional vagal signaling; (2) reversing insulin resistance via its antidiabetic effect; (3) activating anti-inflammatory pathways; (4) restoring homeostasis of the microbiota-gut-brain axis; (5) restoring the sympatho-vagal balance to improve CVD outcomes; (6) and modulating mental disorders. ta-VNS is a safe clinical procedure and it might be a promising new treatment approach for PCOS, or at least a supplementary treatment for current therapeutics.

The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on depression and anxiety of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Women's mental health has a significant impact on the health of society. Due to the prevalence of mental health problems in women with PCOS, this study aimed to determine the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on depression and anxiety (primary outcomes) and quality of life (secondary outcomes) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was performed on 84 patients with PCOS referred to Al-Zahra Hospital in Tabriz-Iran, 2021. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 42) and control (n = 42) groups. Counseling with cognitive behavioral therapy was provided in 8 sessions of 60-90 min weekly in groups with 5 to 7 people in each group for the intervention group. Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety, Beck Depression, and Quality of Life Questionnaire for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSQ) were used to collect data. Independent t-test and ANCOVA were used to compare the outcomes between the two groups.

RESULTS

After the intervention, based on ANCOVA test with adjusting the baseline values, mean scores of depression (mean difference (MD): -18.6; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -19.4 to -17.8: P < 0.001), trait anxiety (MD: -15.0; 95% CI: -16.0 to -13.9; P < 0.001), and state anxiety (MD: -15.3; 95% CI: -16.2 to -14.3; P < 0.001), were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group. The mean score of quality of life (MD: 19.25; 95% CI: 17.66 to 20.84; P < 0.001) was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that CBT was effective in reducing depression and anxiety and improving the quality of life. Therefore it is recommended that health care providers use this approach to improve the mental health and quality of life of women with PCOS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20110826007418N7. Date of registration: 25/10/2021. URL: https://en.irct.ir/trial/57348 ; Date of first registration: 25/10/2021.

ASSESSMENT OF DMFT INDEXES, SALIVARY FLOW RATE, PH, AND DETECTIONS OF S.MUTANS SALIVARY LEVELS BY A QUANTITATIVE REAL-TIME PCR IN POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME

Objectives: PCOS is an endocrine disorder that is common in women. However, PCOS effects on oral and dental health have not been stated clearly. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is common in women of reproductive age, on saliva and dental tissues in these women. Materials and Methods: One-hundred individuals who were / were not diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance were included in this study (n=100). Subsequently, individuals, with PCOS and insulin resistance (PCOSID +), with PCOS and non-insulin resistance (PCOSID-), without PCOS and insulin resistance (ControlID +) and without PCOS and non-insulin resistance (ControlID-) were divided into 4 groups (n=25). DMFT (Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth) index was used for dental health evaluation, while pH meter was used for saliva pH measurement. Also, Streptococcus Mutans (S. Mutans) numbers were analyzed by the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. In statistical analysis p