Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Evaluation of Hepatic Glucose Production in a Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mouse Model
Published on: March 5, 2022
Lipoprotein Particles in Adolescents and Young Women With PCOS Provide Insights Into Their Cardiovascular Risk
E Gourgari1, M Lodish1, R Shamburek1
1Section on Endocrinology and Genetics (E.G., M.L., M.K., S.B., C.L., C.A.S.), Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics and Pediatric Endocrinology Inter-Institute Training Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Section of Clinical Laboratory Services (M.W.), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Bethesda, Maryland 20892; Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (E.G.), Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057; Section of Lipoprotein Metabolism (R.S., A.T.R., M.S.), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20824; Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service (R.W.), National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20814; Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (M.W.), Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn at Maimonides and Children and Hospital at Downstate, State University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11219; and Department of Endocrinology (D.K., S.T., A.D.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Context:
Adult women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but the evidence for this is controversial in adolescents and young women with PCOS. Measurement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle number, measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a novel technology to assess cardiovascular risk.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to evaluate lipoprotein particle number and size in young women with PCOS and its relationship with insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism.
Design:
This was a cross-sectional case control study.
Setting:
The study was conducted at a clinical research center.
Participants:
Women with PCOS (n = 35) and normal controls (n = 20) participated in the study.
Interventions:
Blood samples and anthropometric measures were obtained.
Main Outcome Measures:
LDL particle size and number were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A secondary outcome was to investigate the correlation of LDL particle number with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, waist to hip ratio, hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and adiponectin.
Results:
Women with PCOS had higher LDL particle number when compared with healthy controls (935 ± 412 vs 735 ± 264, P = .032); LDL particle number correlated strongly with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = 0.37, P = .006) and waist-to-hip (r = 0.57, P = .0003). The higher LDL particle number was driven mainly due to differences in the small LDL particle number (sLDLp), with PCOS patients having more sLDLp (348 ± 305 vs 178 ± 195, P = .015). The sLDLp correlated with the Matsuda index (r = -0.51, P = .0001), homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (r = 0.41, P = .002), and adiponectin (r = -0.46, P = .0004) but not with T.
Conclusion:
Adolescent and young women with PCOS have an atherogenic lipoprotein profile suggestive of increased cardiovascular risk that appears to be driven by the degree of visceral adiposity and insulin resistance.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
01:18Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements
01:25Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...
02:07Oogenesis
01:31Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...
01:28Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...