Prevalence of Hypertension in Obese Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most common diseases all over the world. HTN in young females is more common than in males because of the presence of some underlying disease, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is ubiquitous in adolescent girls and may induce sex hormone imbalances.

We studied the prevalence of HTN in adolescent girls suffering PCOS referred to the clinic during 1 year. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study investigating the clinical and paraclinical parameters of patients diagnosed with PCOS who were referred to our clinic in 2021. A checklist containing information on demographic findings, history, physical examination, clinical manifestations, and laboratory test results is used to collect patients' data.

Forty-five patients, 11 to 18 years old (mean 16 years), fulfilled PCOS criteria and enrolled in this study. The minimum and maximum systolic blood pressure of patients were 90 and 140 mmHg (mean 111 mmHg, standard deviation: 14.44), and the minimum and maximum diastolic blood pressure were 60 and 90 mmHg (mean 72 mmHg, standard deviation: 14.44). Five patients (11.1%) had HTN by definition, and the mean BMI was 28.1 (standard deviation: 8.3). Echocardiography showed LVH in 4 (8.9%) of patients, and 2 (4.4%) of the patients had hyperlipidemia. Other related findings were increased unwanted hair growth in 31 (68%), depression and anxiety diagnosed according to criteria and by psychiatric consultation in 22 (48.9%) cases, cardiovascular problems in 6 (13.3%) cases, diabetes mellitus in 7 (15.6%) of patients according to ADA 2018 guidelines, hypothyroidism in 4 (8.9%) and asthma in 6 (13.3%) of patients.

Although this study is a small one and was done in a single center, it supports the importance of PCOS in adolescent girls associated with or predisposing to other diseases such as HTN. Careful evaluation and close observation of these patients is critical because early diagnosis and management can prevent late and serious complications.