Characterization of distinct polycystic ovary syndrome subtypes by cluster and principal component analyses

Different metabolic and reproductive PCOS subtypes are evident. Androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone are important in the reproductive phenotype, highlighting the importance of these hormones in diagnosis and subtype identification and emphasizing their significance in understanding PCOS biology as a predominantly hyperandrogenic disorder. BMI influences and exacerbates the metabolic subtype; in the reproductive group and in lean/normal BMI patients, there is little relationship between weight and other PCOS-related characteristics. Accordingly, traditional treatment paradigms cannot be generalized to all women, and these subtypes may ultimately be viewed as separate disorders.