Women with PMOS at four-fold higher risk of heart disease

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-07-21 08:30

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Having polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS; also known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS) could greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease, say US researchers. The team looked at health insurance data from over 413,000 women aged 18-50 with PMOS and found that those people with PMOS faced a four times higher risk of heart disease when compared against women without the condition, and this risk remained even after accounting for obesity or other risk factors that lead to heart disease - such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. The team believe that their research suggests that other biological factors must then be connecting PMOS to heart disease, and women with PMOS should consider early screening of their heart health and other healthy heart measures to ensure their ticker keeps working as it should.

News release

From: The Lancet

The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health: PMOS linked to four-fold increased risk of heart disease in women, new large US study suggests

Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS; also known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS) face a four-fold higher risk of heart disease compared to women without PMOS, according to a new, nationwide US study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health journal.

Researchers collected health insurance data between 2000–2022 from more than 413,000 PMOS patients aged 18-50. The increased risk for heart disease in women with PMOS remained even after accounting for obesity and other heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, suggesting that other biological factors related to PMOS may contribute to heart disease.

The study authors say the results underscore the importance of early heart health screening for people with PMOS, along with other prevention measures, including weight management, healthy eating, and regular physical activity, to help reduce risk over time.

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Journal/
conference: The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health

Organisation/s: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; University of Pennsylvania, USA

Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

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