PCOS may increase risk of CV complications during hospitalizations related to delivery

USA: During delivery hospitalizations, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had a greater risk of peripartum cardiomyopathy, preeclampsia/ eclampsia, and heart failure says an article published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects between 5% and 13% of women in the general population. It results in irregular periods, elevated levels of male hormones (androgens), and, in some cases, infertility. Building on earlier results that PCOS is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, the current studies suggest that it can also dramatically raise cardiac issues among pregnant women during delivery. When compared to women without PCOS, these issues include preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure with organ damage), peripartum cardiomyopathy (a weak or enlarged heart), heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, and venous thromboembolism (blood clots).

As a result, Salman Zahid and his colleagues looked at the trends, outcomes, and predictors of cardiovascular problems connected with PCOS diagnosis during delivery hospitalizations in the United States.

This study made use of data from the National Inpatient Sample (2002-2019). To identify delivery hospitalizations and PCOS diagnosis, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD9) or International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD10) codes were employed. A total of 71 436 308 weighted hospitalizations for births were found, with PCOS accounting for 0.3% (n=195 675).