CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN WOMEN WITH PCOS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome affecting 5-10% of premenopausal women, with known associated risks of lipid disorders, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension. These investigators hypothesize that obese women with PCOS will have increased levels of inflammatory markers and evidence of atherosclerosis (as determined by higher coronary artery calcium scores) than weight-matched controls without PCOS. They will correlate these factors with the presence of the metabolic syndrome within this population. They also hypothesize that metformin, a drug commonly used in women with PCOS for its insulin sensitization and ovulation induction effects, will reduce levels of inflammatory markers in the obese PCOS women.