Assessment of serum insulin in polycystic ovarian syndrome

Background and objective: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinological pathology affecting around 15-20 % women of reproductive age globally. The characteristic features of PCOS are hyperandrogenemia, oligo/anovulation and polycystic ovaries on imaging studies. Serum insulin level is one of the major risk factors. The aim of this study was to show the significance of the insulin level in all phenotypes of the PCOS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq at the Erbil Maternity Teaching Hospital. It comprised 101 women who had been unequivocally diagnosed with PCOS by laboratory and imaging studies throughout a one-year period beginning on May 2021. Results: The women's body mass index ranged from 19 to 35, while their ages ranged from 18 to 49.Phenotype A formed the largest group of patients by 39.6% and phenotype D were the smallest group by 14.9% of the total patients with significant difference in the serum insulin level between different phenotypes by P-value of (0.035). The mean insulin sensitivity in all phenotypes of PCOS were 31.05 with significance of high serum insulin level by P-value of 0.003. Conclusion: The current study found out that high serum insulin level plays a major role in the development of PCOS. Keywords: Polycystic ovarian syndrome; Hyperandrogenism; Oligo/anovulation; Reproductive age; Body mass index.