One in five adolescent girls with type 2 diabetes have PCOS

One in five girls with type-2 diabetes (T2D) have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOC), a rate that is substantially higher than in the general adolescent population. McMaster University researchers writing in JAMA Open Network report that with PCOS being a common morbidity in girls with T2D, more active screening for PCOS is needed in this population. The topic is of growing concern because the rate of T2D has transitioned from being an adult disease to more a pediatric disorder over the past 30 years. Read: QUIZ: Test your endometriosis knowledge The researchers stated that “insulin resistance plays a central role in the pathogenesis of PCOS, and studies in adolescents have shown that girls with PCOS have decreased insulin sensitivity and compensatory hyperinsulinemia.” A meta-analysis was conducted using data from MEDLINE and other databases. Studies were included if PCOS was diagnosed in girls with T2D at age 18 years or younger. Cross-sectional, retrospective, and prospective cohort studies, with a sample size of 10 or more patients, which reported the prevalence of PCOS in patients with T2D were included. Studies of patients who had gestational diabetes were excluded. A total of 722 studies were found, but only six met the inclusion criteria. The qualifying studies encompassed a total of 470 girls. Five were retrospective cohort studies, and one was a prospective cohort study. The mean age when T2D was diagnosed in the girls ranged from 12.9 to 16.1 years. Read: What is the endocannabinoid system and why is it important? The prevalence of PCOS across the studies was 19.58%, which ranged from 12.02% to 27.14%. The researchers noted the studies varied in terms of how they defined PCOS in the studies. “There is a need for a consensus to establish the pediatric criteria for diagnosing PCOS in adolescents to ensure accurate diagnosis and lower the misclassification rates.” Two of the studies reported the prevalence of PCOS by race. From these, the prevalence was 17.00% in White individuals (36 girls), 23.10% in Indian individuals (195 girls), and 2.00%in Indigenous individuals in Canada (64 girls). None of the studies provided information on rates of obesity in the study populations, and this is an area that needs attention, the researchers said. Early screening in this population is needed to help with the management of both PCOS and associated health issues.

One in five adolescent girls with type 2 diabetes have PCOS

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