Prevalence of Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age and is often associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Evidence on the prevalence of IGT in Iranian women with PCOS is limited. Objectives: This descriptive-analytical study aimed to assess the prevalence of IGT and to compare its frequency between women with and without PCOS referred to the infertility clinic of Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital in Zahedan, Iran, during 2019 - 2021. Methods: This prospective case-control study included 280 women, 225 with PCOS and 55 controls. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) values were measured. Data were analyzed using chi-square, t-test, or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. Results: The mean age of women with PCOS was 28.75 ± 4.31 years versus 29.34 ± 4.61 in controls (P = 0.367). Although the prevalence of IGT was higher among women with PCOS (32.89%) than among controls (23.64%), this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.184). In contrast, the mean 2-hour post-load glucose level was significantly higher in the PCOS group (130.00 ± 25.57 mg/dL) compared with controls (122.30 ± 23.73 mg/dL; P = 0.038). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated a modest discriminatory ability of the 2-hour post-load glucose value for identifying IGT, with an area under the curve of 0.589 (95% CI: 0.501 - 0.677; P = 0.041). Conclusions: Women with PCOS exhibited higher mean post-load glucose levels compared with controls, although the prevalence of IGT did not differ significantly between groups. Periodic glucose tolerance screening is recommended for early detection of metabolic abnormalities and prevention of type 2 diabetes.