Harvard University: 4-20% of women of childbearing age worldwide have polycystic ovary syndrome

Your period is a window into your overall health. Data from the Apple Women’s Health Study helps us understand the relationship between persistent irregular periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and heart health.

Insights on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

People with PCOS may have too many follicles or cysts on their ovaries, which interferes with normal ovulation. 12% of participants reported a diagnosis of PCOS. Studies estimate that PCOS affects 4-20% of women of childbearing age worldwide.

The median age at diagnosis of PCOS is 22 years old

The study found that 24% of mothers and 32% of sisters of patients with PCOS had also been diagnosed with PCOS.

Twenty-three percent of participants with PCOS had a family history of PCOS, compared with only 5% of participants without PCOS.

More than 70 percent of participants without PCOS reported that their menstrual cycles became regular within four years of their first menstrual period. In contrast, only 43 percent of those with PCOS reported that their cycles became regular within the same time frame.

Almost half (49%) of participants diagnosed with PCOS had never had regular menstrual cycles or achieved regularity only after using hormones. In comparison, only 22% of non-PCOS respondents had never had regular menstrual cycles.

Heart Health and PCOS

While we often think of PCOS as affecting periods and menstruation, it is also closely linked to the health of your heart and circulatory system.

Compared with non-PCOS participants, PCOS patients were almost four times more likely to have prediabetes and three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes.

The majority of PCOS patients (61%) reported being obese, a figure that was twice as high as that of non-PCOS participants.

Participants with PCOS were more likely to have irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias (5.6%) than those without PCOS (3.7%). Among participants without PCOS but with a family history of PCOS, 6.2% had arrhythmias.