Reproductive hormone levels and anthropometry in postmenopausal women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): A 21-year follow-up study of women diagnosed with PCOS around 50 years ago and their age-matched controls
Abstract
Context: The hormonal and anthropometric profile of premenopausal women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is well described, but there is a lack of data concerning changes in these variables into the postmenopausal period. Objective: Our objective was to examine whether PCOS women differ from normal women regarding levels of reproductive hormones, anthropometry, and presence of hirsutism/climacteric symptoms also after menopause. Design and Setting: In this prospective study, women with PCOS (61–79 yr) and age-matched controls, examined in 1987, were reinvestigated at a university hospital. Participants: Twenty-five PCOS patients (Rotterdam criteria) and 68 controls (randomly allocated from the Gothenburg WHO MONICA study) participated. Interventions: Reexamination and hormonal measurements were done 21 yr after previous visit. Main Outcome Measures: FSH, LH, TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, prolactin, estrone, estradiol, SHBG, androstenedione, total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, free androgen index, and anthropometry were determined. Presence of climacteric symptoms, hirsutism, and menopausal age were recorded. Results: PCOS women had higher free androgen index (P = 0.001) but lower FSH (P < 0.001) and SHBG (P < 0.01) than controls. Menopausal age, body weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, LH, prolactin, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, total testosterone, estradiol, and estrone were similar in PCOS and controls. Women with PCOS reported hirsutism more frequently (P < 0.001) but had fewer climacteric symptoms (P < 0.05) and hypothyroidism than controls (P < 0.05). Conclusions: PCOS women differ from controls with regard to levels of certain reproductive hormones also after menopause, but the established premenopausal increase in waist to hip ratio in PCOS patients disappeared after menopause, mainly due to weight gain among controls. A novel finding was the lower prevalence of hypothyroidism in PCOS women.
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Women with PCOS in their 40s and older have a higher prevalence of hypertension and triglycerides and are more likely to have insulin resistance compared with women without PCOS.
“Women with PCOS in their 40s and older have a higher prevalence of hypertension and triglycerides54 and are more likely to have insulin resistance compared with women without PCOS.”
From 'I'm usually being my own doctor': women's experiences of managing polycystic ovary syndrome in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [54]
The citation is attached to the hypertension and triglycerides comparison, not the subsequent insulin-resistance statement. The Main Outcome Measures (p. 1) and Discussion (pp. 5–7) address reproductive hormones, anthropometry, and thyroid outcomes; searches for hypertension, blood pressure, and triglycerides found no passage reporting the claimed comparison. (LLM, conf=0.75)
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References 39 · Cited by 113
- Authors
- Schmidt, J., Brännström, M., Landin-Wilhelmsen, K., & Dahlgren, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- Department of Internal Medicine (K.L.-W.), Section for Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Göteborg, Sweden
- Corresponding author
- Schmidt, Johanna
- ORCID
- Brännström, Mats
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Publisher
- The Endocrine Society
- Published
- 2011-07-01
- Volume
- 96
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2178-2185
- ISSN
- 0021-972X (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7197
- OpenAlex
- W2007757730
- Cited by
- 113
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 5.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Stiftelsen Handlanden Hjalmar Svenssons
- Hjärt-Lungfonden
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
- Keywords
- polycystic ovary syndrome, postmenopausal women, reproductive hormones, anthropometry, free androgen index, age at menopause, hirsutism, menopausal symptoms, hypothyroidism, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, long-term follow-up, Rotterdam criteria, androgens, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone
- MeSH terms
- Acetazolamide, Aged, Anthropometry, Body Composition, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Humans, Luteinizing Hormone, Middle Aged, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Prolactin, Prospective Studies, Thyrotropin, Case-Control Studies, Postmenopause, Gonadal Hormones, Waist-Hip Ratio
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