Photo: Marin/Mostphotos

Around 3,600 of the more than 300,000 women (sisters) aged 17–45 years included in the survey had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Photo: Stockholm University

“Of these 3,600 women, 14 per cent had been diagnosed with obesity, 8 per cent with depression, 7 per cent with anxiety, and 4 per cent with one of the conditions sleep problems, eating disorders or sexual disorders,” says Vivien Boldis, PhD student at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University.

PCOS is a hormonal disorder caused by increased testosterone activity in the ovaries. It affects between 3% and 10% of women of childbearing age and can cause, among other things, irregular or missed periods, increased body hair and difficulty getting pregnant. PCOS has been shown to be linked to a number of other diseases. In the new study from Stockholm University and Lund University, researchers have taken a further step to shed light on this co-morbidity phenomenon.

Previous studies have shown that the disease is hereditary, that women with a sister diagnosed with PCOS are more likely to have the disease themselves. Common risk factors have been identified among sisters.

But until now we have not been able to capture the variations that are unique to each sister,” Boldis says.

Individual risk factors should be addressed

In the new study, Boldis and her colleagues made adjustments for various risk factors available in their data. They adjusted for year of birth, birth order, maternal age at birth, birth weight, fertility period, education level, marital status, place of residence, as well as for the Apgar score (Apgar is a method by which obstetricians can determine in a standardised way which babies need more help in the transition to life outside the womb).

It turns out that the co-morbidity – the association between PCOS and the other diseases mentioned – persists after the researchers have controlled and adjusted for factors that are common at the family level, that is, for the sisters studied.

“So variations remain that are unique to each sister in terms of causes of the disease and co-morbidities. These variations may include diet or physical activity, for example. So while there is a strong genetic predisposition and risk factors in the family, there are also individual risk factors to be aware of ,” Boldis says.

Therefore, when a person is diagnosed with any of the co-morbidities of obesity, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders or sexual disorders, PCOS should be kept in mind and also investigated, she says.

“Early screening for co-morbidities in women with PCOS and, vice versa, screening for PCOS at diagnosis in any of these co-morbidities would be preferable, so that early intervention in the disease course can be achieved ,” Boldis says.

She is doing further studies on PCOS

This is the second study in Vivien Boldi's ongoing thesis work. In the other two upcoming articles that will be part of the thesis, she focuses on economic factors associated with PCOS, such as how PCOS can affect women's economy and position on the labour market later in life.

“My dissertation is scheduled for 31 January 2025, after which I look forward to being part of future research projects and working on women's health ,” Boldis says.

Håkan Soold