Risk of cardiovascular disease for women with polycystic ovary syndrome: results from a national Danish registry cohort study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinological condition affecting up to 18% of reproductive-age women.1 Diagnosis requires two or more of the following: (a) menstrual irregularity; (b) hyperandrogenism (excess male hormones); and (c) polycystic ovaries.1 In addition, women with PCOS have higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and, potentially, CVD events.1 Given that some PCOS symptoms are specifically premenopausal, it is important to understand the CVD risk associated with PCOS across the lifespan. To address this, we conducted a nationwide registry study. We identified women from 1994 to 2015 using the Danish National assisted reproductive technology (ART)-Couple II Cohort, linked to the National Patient Register, the Civil Registration System and the Medical Birth Register. Women with CVD at baseline were excluded (n = 2325), resulting in a total of 60,574 women. Women with PCOS were identified using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code...