Intergenerational associations of chronic disease and polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common female endocrine disorder of heterogeneous clinical presentation, high disease burden, and unknown aetiology. The disease and associated conditions cluster in families, suggesting that PCOS may be the reproductive consequence of underlying chronic disease susceptibility. Objective: To determine whether parents of young women with PCOS were more likely to have a history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease in later adult life. Design, Setting and Participants: Structured interviews with 715 members of a cohort constructed by tracing female infants born at a single general hospital in Adelaide between 1973 and 1975. Participants were as..