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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

A Hyperandrogenic Mouse Model to Study Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Published on: October 2, 2018
Familial associations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
William U Atiomo1, Essam El-Mahdi, Paul Hardiman
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Human Development, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom. william.atiomo@nottingham.ac.uk
Objective:
To confirm whether there was a familial association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thromboembolic disease, ovarian or breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
A university hospital in the United Kingdom.
Patient(S):
Two hundred and seventeen women with and without PCOS under the care of the same consultant gynecologist at a teaching hospital.
Intervention(S):
Questionnaire survey.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Prevalence of a personal or positive family history of thromboembolism, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks.
Result(S):
In an analysis of the replies from 41 women with PCOS and 66 controls, we found a statistically significant positive family history of breast cancer and heart attacks among women with PCOS. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean age, ethnic origin, or prevalence of a family history of other diseases.
Conclusion(S):
Our results show a positive association between polycystic ovary syndrome and a family history of breast cancer and heart disease. These associations may be genetic in origin, or secondary to a complex interplay of genetic, intrauterine, and environmental factors. More studies are required to confirm these findings and determine the factors that explain these associations.
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