Common women’s health condition could increase heart disease risk four-fold

Storm Newton, Press Association Health Reporter

Women with a common health condition face a four times higher risk of developing heart disease, a study suggests.

Researchers stressed the importance of early heart health screening for those with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), as well as other interventions such as diet changes and exercise.

PMOS is a complex hormone condition that impacts around one in eight women in the UK, affecting hair growth, periods, fertility and mood.

For the study, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, researchers in the US analysed health insurance data from 2000 to 2022 for 413,450 women with PMOS between the ages of 18 and 50.

They were matched to more than two million women who did not have the condition.

The study found the PMOS group had a four-fold higher risk of heart disease compared to those without PMOS.

The risk remained after experts accounted for other risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Researchers said that international PMOS guidelines recommend screening all patients for heart disease risk at diagnosis and giving them advise on lifestyle changes.

However, they said patient surveys “report delayed diagnosis and substantial dissatisfaction with counselling regarding long-term comorbidities”.

“Our results emphasise the need for physician education and patient awareness of cardiovascular disease risk to improve implementation of early preventive interventions,” researchers added.

The team also called for further studies to track women through menopause as well as research to explore if treatments such as GLP-1 drugs or hormonal contraception effect the link between PMOS and heart disease.

Until recently, PMOS was known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

However, experts called for the name change after highlighting that women were facing diagnosis delays due to a misunderstanding about cysts and too much focus on the ovaries.

Earlier this month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) also said that women with PMOS should be seen by health professionals annually to monitor symptoms and manage long-term risks.

Nice said the condition affects between three and four million women in the UK but is “frequently underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed”.

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