Association of insulin resistance with lipid profile, metabolic syndrome, and hormonal aberrations in overweight or obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

This cross-sectional study was aimed to better clarify the associations of insulin resistance (IR) with endocrinometabolic parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Anthropometric measurements, endocrine and metabolic profiles, and the presence of IR and metabolic syndrome (MetS) were assessed in 63 overweight or obese PCOS patients subdivided into insulin-resistant (IR) and insulin-sensitive (IS) groups. Fasting insulin concentration and HOMA-IR were higher (p<0.001), and quantitative insulin check index (QUICKI), glucose-to-insulin ratio (p<0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p=0.012) were lower in IR group. MetS (p=0.034) and obesity (p=0.038) were more prevalent in IR group. For all PCOS patients, significant correlations of total cholesterol (TC) with dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) (r=-0.27, p=0.031), HDL-C with QUICKI (r=0.26, p=0.036) were found. Partial correlations also showed significant associations between TG and BS2h (r=0.30, p=0.026) as well as TC and LH/FSH ratio (r=0.30, p=0.032). When the patients were divided into IR and IS groups, significant correlations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with luteinizing hormone (LH) (r=0.50, p=0.017) as well as TC (r=0.42, p=0.043) and LDL-C (r=0.50, p=0.016) with LH/FSH ratio were observed in IR group. However, partial correlation suggested significant associations of HDL-C with testosterone (r=-0.35, p=0.049) as well as serum LDL-C (r=0.38, p=0.033), HDL-C (r=-0.32, p=0.047), and TC (r=0.34, p=0.056) with progesterone level only in the IS group. The findings of this study indicated that lipid abnormalities may occur in PCOS, irrespective of IR.