REVIEW article
Front. Cardiovasc. Med.
Sec. Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1520490
This article is part of the Research TopicCardiovascular Dysfunction in PCOS: Mitochondrial and Inflammatory MechanismsView all articles
Women with PCOS have heightened risk of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Statement from Expert Group On Inositol in basic and clinical research and PCOS (EGOI-PCOS) and Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologist (ANMCO)
Provisionally accepted- 1UOC Cardiology - UTIC and Hemodynamics, S Antonio Abate, Erice (TP) Italy, Erice, Italy
- 2Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Sant'Anna and San Sebastiano Hospital, Caserta, Campania, Italy
- 3ANMCO Research Center, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
- 4Foundation for Your Heart, Firenze, Italy
- 5Cardiology 1- Hemodynamics, Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Department “A. De Gasperis”, ASST Grande Metropolitano Niguarda Hospital, Milan (MI), Italy, Milan, Italy
- 6U.O.C. Cardiology, Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Department, A.O. San Camillo Forlanini, Rome (RM), Italy, Rome, Italy
- 7Clinical and Rehabilitation Cardiology Unit, Ospedale San Filippo Neri, Rome, Sicily, Italy
- 8U.O.C. Cardiology-UTIC, Miulli Hospital, Acquaviva delle Fonti (BA), Italy;, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy
- 9Mother-Infant Department, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy;, Modena, Italy
- 10The Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research and on PCOS (EGOI-PCOS), Rome, Sicily, Italy
- 11Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Lazio, Italy
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In recent years, Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) prevalence has gradually increased, and the investigation of the causal factors influencing etiopathogenesis is attracting attention. Several studies have highlighted that patients with PCOS exhibit an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to healthy people, and these risks include occurrence of myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. This correlation becomes particularly important when PCOS is diagnosed and consequently a specific treatment is recommended. Of note, women with PCOS may exhibit different pathological features even if quite often they are considered as a sole unique group of patients. Interestingly, the rate of CVD occurrence is differently linked to PCOS phenotypes. Data from literature demonstrate that CVD risks is strongly associated with those comorbidities frequently observed in PCOS, mainly metabolic alteration such as hypertension, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis, that predispose individuals to CVD and type 2 diabetes. Women presenting PCOS, particularly those with hyperandrogenic pattern, seem more prone to develop CVD with respect to other PCOS patients. This may be related to genetic factors, dyslipidemia, and hypertension combined with excessive androgen, which may explain the increased risk factor of CVD in patients with PCOS. On these premises it becomes important to implement the therapeutical rationale, the risk assessment before treatment prescription, and to encourage meticulous patients' observation during medical examinations. This aspect becomes crucial particularly in adolescent patients, as in many cases PCOS may be predictive of CVD occurrence.
Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases1, PCOS2, CVD prevention3, CVD risk factors4, OCPs5
Received: 07 Jan 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Geraci, Riccio, Oliva, Gabrielli, Colivicchi, Grimaldi, Facchinetti and Unfer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Vittorio Unfer, The Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research and on PCOS (EGOI-PCOS), Rome, Sicily, Italy
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