Apnea-hypopnea index in nonobese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on respiratory events during sleep in nonobese Taiwanese women.

METHOD: Overnight polysomnography was recorded in 18 nonobese women with PCOS who had not received treatment (body mass index [BMI] 21.7+/-0.57, age 29.1+/-1.43 years) and in 10 age- and BMI-matched women without PCOS (BMI 20.9+/-0.58, age 31.6+/-3.87 years).

RESULTS: The nonobese women with PCOS had a higher total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) especially during the non-rapid eye movement stage (AHI(NREM)) than the women who did not have PCOS. The women with PCOS had higher serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and this was positively correlated with AHI(REM). Total testosterone level was positively correlated with AHI(NREM), and androstenedione was negatively correlated with AHI(NREM).

CONCLUSION: PCOS was directly linked to increased obstructive respiratory events during sleep in nonobese women in Taiwan.