Prevalence and Hormonal Correlations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic and endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age, especially those with obesity. It is marked by symptoms of high androgen levels and/or irregular ovulation, which can lead to infertility.This study aims to determine the prevalence of PCOS among women seeking bariatric surgery and to explore the relationship between PCOS and sex hormone levels in obese women. This retrospective analysis was conducted on 577 candidates for bariatric surgery from 2015 to 2021, utilizing RStudio for data evaluation. 

The results showed the following:

• The study found that 14.04% of bariatric surgery candidates had PCOS. 
• Additionally, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels decreased with increasing BMI.
• Women with PCOS were typically younger and had lower HDL-C levels compared to those without PCOS.
• However, they presented with higher levels of HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose (FBG), luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone (TT), and a higher LH/FSH ratio.
• Logistic regression indicated that individuals with FBG over 7 mmol/L (OR = 2.28, 95% CI 1.19 to 4.37) and those with TT levels exceeding 2.01 ng/ml (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.23 to 4.71) were at greater risk for PCOS.

In conclusion, the prevalence of PCOS is notably high among women undergoing bariatric surgery, associated with younger age, lower HDL levels, higher FBG, and increased TT levels. These factors may help in assessing improvements in PCOS and surgical outcomes after the procedure.

Source: Dong S, Law S, Ou C, Wu B, Dong Z, Yang W, Zhang X. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Sex Hormones in Bariatric Surgery Candidates. Obes Surg. 2025 Mar;35(3):984-991. doi: 10.1007/s11695-025-07740-9. Epub 2025 Feb 19. PMID: 39969793.