Role of obesity and adiposity in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. Obesity may have a marked impact on both the development and progression of the syndrome. A high proportion of women with PCOS are obese. Regardless of the degree of obesity, women with PCOS are more likely to have central (abdominal) distribution of body fat, which is associated with insulin resistance and hyperandrogenaemia. PCOS is not only a reproductive disorder, but is also associated with significant increase in metabolic aberrations and cardiovascular risk factors. It has been shown that weight loss improves the metabolic and reproductive abnormalities that characterise the syndrome.