PCOS – what matters in early pregnancy?– data from a cross-sectional, multicenter study

Objective. To describe patient characteristics according to different diagnostic criteria in early pregnancy, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design. Descriptive, cross-sectional study of 257 women with PCOS in the first trimester of pregnancy. Setting. Data from a multicenter trial at the time of inclusion. Population. 257 PCOS women with singleton pregnancies. Methods. Investigator-administrated questionnaires were filled out. Clinical examination was performed by the investigators. Fasting blood samples were collected. Main outcome measures. Biometric data, androgens, glucose and insulin levels. Results. Women who met the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria for PCOS had higher body mass index (BMI), testosterone, dehydroepiandrostenedione, free testosterone index (FTI) and insulin levels compared with those who only met the Rotterdam consensus criteria. Adjusted for age and BMI, only testosterone and FTI were higher in those who met the NIH criteria. BMI was a strong, independent predictor of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in early PCOS pregnancy, while both FTI and fasting insulin were independent predictors of systolic blood pressure. Twenty-two (9%) of the participants had gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester of pregnancy. Conclusions. In the first trimester, PCOS women diagnosed according to NIH criteria were more metabolically and endocrinologically abnormal compared with those who only met the Rotterdam consensus criteria. BMI and FTI were independent predictive factors for blood pressure. There was a high prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in early PCOS pregnancies.