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Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.S.K., W.W., L.R.B., R.A.), Occupational Health (T.J.K.), Genetics (M.M.-K.), and Medicine (R.A.), University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35233
Estimates of the prevalence of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in
the general population have ranged from 2–20%. The vast majority of
these reports have studied White populations in Europe, used limited
definitions of the disorder, and/or used bias populations, such as
those seeking medical care. To estimate the prevalence of this disorder
in the United States and address these limitations, we prospectively
determined the prevalence of PCOS in a reproductive-aged population of
369 consecutive women (174 White and 195 Black; aged 18–45 yr),
examined at the time of their preemployment physical. Body measures
were obtained, and body hair was quantified by a modified
Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) method. All exams were initially performed by 2
trained nurses, and any subject with an F-G score above 3 was
reexamined by a physician, the same for all patients. Of the 369 women,
277 (75.1%) also agreed to complete a questionnaire and have
additional blood drawn. Subjects were studied regardless of current
estrogen/progestin hormonal use (28.5%). PCOS was defined as 1)
oligoovulation, 2) clinical hyperandrogenism (i.e.
hirsutism) and/or hyperandrogenemia, and 3) exclusion of other related
disorders, such as hyperprolactinemia, thyroid abnormalities, and
nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia. Hirsutism was defined by a F-G score of
6 or more, and hyperandrogenemia was defined as a total or free
testosterone, androstenedione, and/or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
level above the 95th percentile of control values [i.e.
all eumenorrheic women in the study, who had no hirsutism (F-G 
5) or
acne and were receiving no hormonal therapy; n = 98]. Considering
all 369 women studied, White and Black women had similar mean ages
(29.4 ± 7.1 and 31.1 ± 7.8 yr, respectively), although
White women had a lesser body mass than Black women (24.9 ± 6.1
vs. 29.2 ± 8.1 kg/m2, respectively;
P < 0.001). Of these 7.6%, 4.6%, and 1.9%
demonstrated a F-G score of 6 or more, 8 or 10, respectively, and there
was no significant racial difference, with hirsutism prevalences of
8.0%, 2.8%, and 1.6% in Whites, and 7.1%, 6.1%, and 2.1% in
Blacks, respectively. Of the 277 women consenting to a history and
hormonal evaluation, 4.0% had PCOS as defined, 4.7% (6 of 129) of
Whites and 3.4% (5 of 148) of Blacks.
In conclusion, in our consecutive population of unselected women the prevalence of hirsutism varied from 2–8% depending on the chosen cut-off F-G score, with no significant difference between White and Black women. Using an F-G score of 6 or more as indicative of hirsutism, 3.4% of Blacks and 4.7% of Whites had PCOS as defined. These data suggest that PCOS may be one of most common reproductive endocrinological disorders of women.
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N. I. Leibel, E. E. Baumann, M. Kocherginsky, and R. L. Rosenfield Relationship of Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome to Parental Metabolic Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2006; 91(4): 1275 - 1283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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S. Elsenbruch, S. Benson, S. Hahn, S. Tan, K. Mann, K. Pleger, R. Kimmig, and O. E. Janssen Determinants of emotional distress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2006; 21(4): 1092 - 1099. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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 F Gonzalez, N S Rote, J Minium, and J P Kirwan In vitro evidence that hyperglycemia stimulates tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} release in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J. Endocrinol., March 1, 2006; 188(3): 521 - 529. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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T. Bridger, S. MacDonald, F. Baltzer, and C. Rodd Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Metformin for Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, March 1, 2006; 160(3): 241 - 246. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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M. Mohlig, J. Spranger, M. Ristow, A. F H Pfeiffer, T. Schill, H. W Schlosser, L. Moltz, G. Brabant, and C. Schofl Predictors of abnormal glucose metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome Eur. J. Endocrinol., February 1, 2006; 154(2): 295 - 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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E. Carmina, F. Rosato, A. Janni, M. Rizzo, and R. A. Longo Relative Prevalence of Different Androgen Excess Disorders in 950 Women Referred because of Clinical Hyperandrogenism J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2006; 91(1): 2 - 6. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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E. Tasali, E. Van Cauter, and D. A. Ehrmann Relationships between Sleep Disordered Breathing and Glucose Metabolism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2006; 91(1): 36 - 42. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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P. Dursun, E. Demirtas, A. Bayrak, and H. Yarali Decreased serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity: an additional risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease in patients with PCOS? Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2006; 21(1): 104 - 108. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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R. L. Rosenfield Hirsutism N. Engl. J. Med., December 15, 2005; 353(24): 2578 - 2588. [Full Text] [PDF]
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M. Urbanek, A. Woodroffe, K. G. Ewens, E. Diamanti-Kandarakis, R. S. Legro, J. F. Strauss III, A. Dunaif, and R. S. Spielman Candidate Gene Region for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome on Chromosome 19p13.2 J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2005; 90(12): 6623 - 6629. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. Vrbikova, K. Vondra, D. Cibula, K. Dvorakova, S. Stanicka, D. Sramkova, G. Sindelka, M. Hill, B. Bendlova, and J. Skrha Metabolic syndrome in young Czech women with polycystic ovary syndrome Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2005; 20(12): 3328 - 3332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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 S. E. Recabarren, V. Padmanabhan, E. Codner, A. Lobos, C. Duran, M. Vidal, D. L. Foster, and T. Sir-Petermann Postnatal developmental consequences of altered insulin sensitivity in female sheep treated prenatally with testosterone Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, November 1, 2005; 289(5): E801 - E806. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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E. Diamanti-Kandarakis and C. Piperi Genetics of polycystic ovary syndrome: searching for the way out of the labyrinth Hum. Reprod. Update, November 1, 2005; 11(6): 631 - 643. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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C. K. Welt, A. E. Taylor, J. Fox, G. M. Messerlian, J. M. Adams, and A. L. Schneyer Follicular Arrest in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Is Associated with Deficient Inhibin A and B Biosynthesis J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2005; 90(10): 5582 - 5587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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F. Gonzalez, J. Minium, N. S. Rote, and J. P. Kirwan Hyperglycemia Alters Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Release from Mononuclear Cells in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2005; 90(9): 5336 - 5342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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M. Kravariti, K. K. Naka, S. N. Kalantaridou, N. Kazakos, C. S. Katsouras, A. Makrigiannakis, E. A. Paraskevaidis, G. P. Chrousos, A. Tsatsoulis, and L. K. Michalis Predictors of Endothelial Dysfunction in Young Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2005; 90(9): 5088 - 5095. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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 N. A Christy, A. S Franks, and L B. Cross Spironolactone for Hirsutism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Ann. Pharmacother., September 1, 2005; 39(9): 1517 - 1521. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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I. Munir, H.-W. Yen, T. Baruth, R. Tarkowski, R. Azziz, D. A. Magoffin, and A. J. Jakimiuk Resistin Stimulation of 17{alpha}-Hydroxylase Activity in Ovarian Theca Cells in Vitro: Relevance to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2005; 90(8): 4852 - 4857. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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