Does body mass index have an effect on the prevalence of various symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome and their associated risk factors?

Abstract The present cross-sectional study is an attempt to understand the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the prevalence of various symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to evaluate its associated risk factors. A total of 250 PCOS women diagnosed by Rotterdam Criteria (2003), age ranging from 18–45 years, attending OPD of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of PGIMER, Chandigarh, India were enrolled in the study. All the participants were divided in three groups according to their body mass index (BMI). The polycystic ovaries (83.2%) were the most frequently occurring symptoms of PCOS followed by hirsutism (74.4%), oligomenorrhea (60%), seborrhea (45.2%) and acne (40%). Category wise frequency distribution showed higher prevalence of symptoms among women in overweight/obese category, which were further supported by correspondence analysis. Results of multivariate analysis revealed that marital status, type of diet, socio-economic status and physical activity level were potential risk factors contributing to severe manifestations of PCOS symptoms. Obesity denoted as an important risk factor can exaggerate many symptoms of PCOS and also be a causative factor for menstrual disturbance.