The relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and endogenous androgens in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome in Taiwan.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and complex female endocrinopathy that is associated with multiple vascular risk factors. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and endogenous androgens in young Taiwanese-Chinese women with PCOS. We measured CIMT with B-mode ultrasound in 42 young PCOS patients and 43 controls. Atherosclerosis-associated profiles and endocrinological parameters were also measured. The results showed that although Taiwanese-Chinese PCOS patients tend to possess more risk factors for atherosclerosis than controls, there was no evidence to support that they have a greater CIMT at this age. Furthermore, androstenedione appears to be inversely associated with CIMT.