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).

The key findings of this study were as follows:

1. During the research period, the prevalence of PCOS and obesity among people with PCOS rose.

2. Women with PCOS were older and more likely to have diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia.

3. PCOS remained an independent predictor of cardiovascular problems, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, eclampsia, preeclampsia, and heart failure, after adjusting for age, race and ethnicity, comorbidities, insurance, and income, when compared to no PCOS.

4. Furthermore, delivery hospitalizations in PCOS women were related to higher length and expense of hospitalization.

In conclusion, delivery hospitalizations in women with PCOS were linked with increased duration and cost of the stay. This emphasizes the significance of prenatal counseling and cardiometabolic health optimization to enhance mother-and-newborn outcomes.

Reference: 

Zahid, S., Khan, M. Z., Gowda, S., Faza, N. N., Honigberg, M. C., Vaught, A. (Jason), Guan, C., Minhas, A. S., & Michos, E. D. (2022). Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of Cardiovascular Complications Associated With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome During Delivery Hospitalizations: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis (2002–2019). In Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.121.025839