Insulin Resistance and Adolescent Girls with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract 

Study Objectives

To estimate (1) the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR), by fasting glucose: insulin ratio (G:I<7.0) in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), (2) to compare the clinical and biochemical parameters between insulin-resistant and non-insulin resistant groups.

Design

Case series.

Setting

Clinic based.

Participants

49 adolescent girls with complaints of oligomenorrhoea with hirsutism and or acne.

Interventions

Forty-nine adolescent girls diagnosed to have PCOS (Rotterdam 2003 criteria) were studied. Body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (AC), hirsutism (Ferriman Gallway score≥6), presence of acne, acanthosis nigricans (AN) were noted in each case. Serum testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were measured. Free androgen index (FAI) was calculated.

Results

69.4% of these girls were found to have IR. There were no differences in age, BMI, AC, serum testosterone, FAI and fasting glucose levels between insulin resistant and non-insulin resistant girls. But there were significant differences in frequencies of hirsutism, acne, AN, and serum levels of SHBG and fasting insulin between the two groups.

Conclusion

Adolescent girls with PCOS and IR are more hirsute and have more AN and lower SHBG and higher fasting insulin levels compared to non-insulin resistant girls.

Key Words: Insulin resistance, Adolescence, Polycystic ovary syndrome