title: Metabolic syndrome in young women with the polycystic ovary syndrome: revisiting the threshold for an abnormally decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol serum level.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify whether the adult threshold for an abnormally decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) serum level (0.5 g/l) is appropriate in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of a database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 854 women aged 16-40 years having PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Criteria defining the metabolic syndrome (MetS) (increased waist circumference, systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting glycaemia and decreased HDL-C) were separately analysed and compared in three different subgroups (16-20 years, 20-30 years and 30-40 years). The prevalence of the MetS was calculated using two different thresholds (0.5 and 0.4 g/l) for HDL-C in the 16-20 years group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence of MetS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of an abnormal HDL-C (<0.5 g/l) was higher in the youngest women (60%), whereas frequencies of abnormal waist circumference, systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and fasting glycaemia were lower than in the two other groups. The prevalence of an abnormal HDL-C dropped to 27% when using a threshold of 0.4 g/l in the 16-20 years subgroup. The prevalence of the MetS in the 16-20 years subgroup was 11%, whatever the threshold, because HDL-C was <0.4 g/l in all women once they scored 3 or more.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The adult threshold for HDL-C overestimates the prevalence of abnormal HDL-C in young women with PCOS. Until normative data about HDL-C in adult women under 20 years is available, we suggest using a threshold of 0.4 g/l or ignoring this criterion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Lille, France. ddewailly@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dewailly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Contestin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catteau-Jonard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides