Body Fat Distribution in Thai Reproductive-Aged Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Women Compared with Non-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Women

Background: The body fat in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women is mostly centrally distributed and is associated with insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and hyperandrogenemia. This study compared the fat distributions of Thai PCOS and non-PCOS women, and it investigated the association between body fat distribution in PCOS women with glucose tolerance and serum androgens. Methods: The PCOS and non-PCOS groups each had 60 women. The body mass indexes (BMI) of the groups were matched. Blood tests and fat distributions were compared between group. Results: The mean age of the non-PCOS group was significantly higher than that of the PCOS group (30.85 ± 6.41 vs. 25.95 ± 5.16 years; p-value < 0.001). The glucose level after a 2-hour, 75-gram, oral glucose tolerance test (75-g OGTT) of the PCOS group, and its insulin resistance, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, total testosterone, free testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels, were significantly higher than the corresponding values of the non-PCOS group. The fat distribution patterns of the 2 groups were generally not significantly different. The level of fat distributed in the arms was significantly elevated among PCOS women with abnormal 75-g OGTT values. The fat distributions of PCOS women, regardless of hyperandrogenemia status, did not significantly differ. Conclusions: No significant differences in fat distribution were observed between the PCOS and non-PCOS groups. PCOS participants with abnormal 75-g OGTT levels had a higher proportion of arm-fat compared to those with normal results. There were no discernible differences in fat distribution patterns between PCOS women with hyperandrogenemia and those with normal androgen levels.