Determinants of health related quality of life in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

UNLABELLED: Aim of the study is to define the principal causes that determine the quality of life of women with PCOS. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This is a multicentric study, including 100 women with PCOS. All women have received a Bulgarian version of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ). The forms were filled in anonymously and mentioned the age, weight and height of the patient, as well as the marital status and ethnicity. RESULTS: The highest negative influence over the quality of life is connected with the issues of hirsutism, overweight and infertility. In overweight women with PCOS the quality of life is much lower than that of women with the syndrome but with normal weight. The lower quality of life concerns almost all domains of the questionnaire, except the index of menstruation. The scale of emotions is definitely low in women with overweight. There is a difference in the score of values for certain domains according to the age of the women. At the age below 25 the principal cause for lower quality of life is hisrutism, while at the age above 25, the low quality of life is mainly determined by infertility. CONCLUSION: The results of our study confirm the negative impact of PCOS over the quality of life. They give a definite answer to the question of choosing an appropriate aim in the treatment of each and every group of women with PCOS according to their age and weight. The results could be used to define a factor, which has the most negative impact upon quality of life and therefore lead the treatment in the best possible direction.