Mindfulness in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Nazia Raja-Khan，医学博士是一名内分泌学家，其长期职业目标是建立多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）的综合医学研究计划，旨在将基于证据的非传统补充疗法与PCOS的传统医学疗法相结合，以优化PCOS的心理和心脏代谢健康。PCOS是一种常见的内分泌疾病，影响5-10%的育龄妇女。患有多囊卵巢综合征的女性心理困扰的风险增加，这可能导致他们患糖尿病和心血管疾病的风险增加。然而，缺乏有效的策略来管理PCOS的心理困扰。基于正念的减压（MBSR）可以减少各种患者人群的心理困扰，一项初步研究表明，MBSR可以降低血糖和血压。因此，正念减压疗法可以通过减少心理困扰和心脏代谢风险来显著影响PCOS;然而，正念减压疗法尚未在PCOS中进行研究。正念减压疗法可能对没有多囊卵巢综合征（非多囊卵巢综合征）的超重或肥胖妇女有类似的好处，因为压力也被认为是肥胖的主要原因。我们的目的是进行一项随机对照试验，调查MBSR在超重或肥胖的PCOS和非PCOS妇女中的可行性和效果。将98名女性随机分为8周正念减压疗法组或健康教育对照组，并随访16周。 总的假设是，正念减压疗法将减少心脏代谢风险和心理困扰，改善PCOS和非PCOS妇女的生活质量。具体目标是：1）确定MBSR与健康教育对照相比对正念变化的影响，主要用多伦多正念量表进行评估; 2）对MBSR与健康教育对照相比对血红蛋白A1 c、平均动脉压（MAP）、生活质量和总体心理困扰的影响进行初步评估; 3）探讨正念减压疗法的生理机制，包括唾液皮质醇和胰岛素抵抗（HOMA-IR）。该职业发展奖将为Raja-Khan博士提供技能，经验和初步数据，以制定具有竞争力的R 01提案，以更全面地研究MBSR在PCOS中的作用和机制。这项研究将为PCOS，糖尿病和心血管疾病的新型综合身心方法的发展提供信息。

Nazia Raja-Khan, M.D. is an endocrinologist with a long-term career goal of establishing an integrative medicine research program for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) aimed at integrating evidence-based non-conventional complementary therapies with conventional medical therapies for PCOS to optimize psychological and cardiometabolic health in PCOS. PCOS is a common endocrine disorder that affects 5-10% of reproductive-aged women. Women with PCOS are at increased risk for psychological distress, which may contribute to their increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, there is a lack of effective strategies for managing psychological distress in PCOS. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) reduces psychological distress in various patient populations and a pilot study showed that MBSR lowers glucose and blood pressure. Therefore, MBSR could significantly impact PCOS by reducing psychological distress and cardiometabolic risk; however, MBSR has not been investigated in PCOS. MBSR may have similar benefits for overweight or obese women who do not have PCOS (non-PCOS) as stress is also believed to play a major role in obesity. Our objective is to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial investigating the feasibility and effects of MBSR in PCOS and non-PCOS women who are overweight or obese. Ninety eight (98) women will be randomized to 8-weeks of MBSR or health education control and followed for 16 weeks. The overall hypothesis is that MBSR will reduce cardiometabolic risk and psychological distress and improve quality of life in PCOS and non-PCOS women. Specific Aims are to: 1) Determine the effects of MBSR compared to health education control on changes in mindfulness, primarily assessed with the Toronto Mindfulness Scale; 2) Conduct a preliminary evaluation of the effects of MBSR compared to health education control on hemoglobin A1c, mean arterial pressure (MAP), quality of life, and overall psychological distress; 3) Explore physiologic mechanisms potentially mediating the effects of MBSR, including salivary cortisol and insulin resistance measured by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). This career development award will provide Dr. Raja-Khan with the skills, experience, and preliminary data to develop a competitive R01 proposal to more comprehensively investigate the effects and mechanisms of MBSR in PCOS. This research will inform the development of novel integrative mind-body approaches for PCOS, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.