Prevalence of insulin resistance in Egyptian women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a prevalent female endocrine condition, is a common issue among women of reproductive age. Aim This study aimed to determine the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) in Egyptian women with PCOS. Patients and methods The study was cross–sectional observational research performed on 200 patients having PCOS at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, from April 2019 to October 2023. Results The Ferriman-Gallwey score had a statistically highly significant higher level in the IR group (9.89±3.44) compared with cases without IR ( P <0.001). A score greater than 8 was detected in 90% of the IR cases, compared with 36% of the insulin-sensitive group (χ 2 =64.6, P <0.001). There was not statistically significant variance among cases with and without IR regarding serum 17-OH progesterone and serum cortisol ( P >0.05). Insulin-resistant patients had higher ovarian volume ( P =0.0001) and follicle numbers ( P =0.0001) compared with insulin-sensitive patients. Additionally, insulin-resistant patients had a higher number of cases with an ovarian volume greater than 10 ml 3 and a follicle number greater than 12 compared with insulin-sensitive patients. Conclusion A 55% of PCOS patients are insulin resistant, affecting fasting glucose, serum insulin, ovarian volume, menstrual irregularity, testosterone levels, hirsutism, and follicle numbers. The QUICKI score shows a negative correlation with IR. Hyperandrogenism patients should be assessed for IR.