Relationship between polycystic ovaries, body mass index and insulin resistance

Background: to investigate insulin levels in lean and overweight women with and without polycystic ovaries. An observational, cross-sectional study at The Northem General Hospital, Sheffield, UK.Methods: sixty-eight women born at Jessop Hospital, Sheffield, between 1952 and 1953 were divided into four groups according to the status of their polycystic ovaries and body mass index: either > or ~ 25. Therefore, this was an unselected sample, unlike previous studies that have recruited from endocrine clinics or similar. Subjects underwent pelvic ultrasonography to visualize their ovaries in order to diagnose or exclude polycystic ovaries. They all underwent a short insulin tolerance test.Results: women with a body mass index > 25 and with polycystic ovaries were the most insulin resistant. Women with a body mass index of ??25 and with normal ovaries were the most insulin sensitive. Women with a body mass index ??25 and polycystic ovaries were the more resistant than those with a body mass index > 25 and with normal ovaries.Conclusion: obesity increases insulin resistance, and the presence of polycystic ovaries increases insulin resistance. The presence of polycystic ovaries appears to have a stronger influence than obesity on insulin resistance. This is the first study to demonstrate these relationships using unselected volunteers