AsianScientist (Oct. 7, 2011) – A new study from the University of Adelaide shows the parents of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to have some form of cardiovascular disease.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting about 10 percent of women of reproductive age. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women and a leading cause of infertility.
The study involved taking family medical histories from more than 700 women born at Adelaide’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital between 1973-1975.
Published this Tuesday in the online journal PLoS ONE, the study revealed that mothers of women with PCOS were more likely to have any form of cardiovascular disease, and almost twice as likely to have high blood pressure, than mothers of other women.
Fathers of women with PCOS were also more than twice as likely to have heart disease, and more than four times as likely to have a stroke, than fathers of other women.
“Our results show there is a strong link between cardiovascular disease in both mother and father and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome in their daughters,” said the lead author of the study, Associate Professor Michael Davies from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Institute.
“It suggests that PCOS may be the consequence of a family susceptibility to chronic disease. Further research into the association between the child and parent is therefore needed,” he said.
Prof. Davis revealed that about 500,000 women are affected by PCOS in Australia alone.
While it is a leading cause of infertility, PCOS also carries with it a wide range of other, serious health complications, he said, and understanding the link between PCOS and other family medical conditions may allow physicians to diagnose and treat these illnesses at an earlier stage.
The article can be found at: Davis MJ et al. (2011) Intergenerational Associations of Chronic Disease and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
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Source: University of Adelaide.
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