Background and aim:  Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common endocrine disorder that is associated with lipid disorders and obesity with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the association between lipid profile and fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance among women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Methods: The present case-control study was conducted on 153 women with PCOS and 449 healthy women as controls. Data was extracted from data center of Diabetes Research Center of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences including women from 4 cities of Khuzestan province (Ahwaz, Behbahan, Abadan, and Khorramshahr). Serum lipids, fasting blood sugar, and serum insulin levels along with Body Mass Index (BMI), Homeostatic Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA IR), Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), and Body Adiposity Index in two groups were analyzed by independent t-tests, chi-square and Fisher exact test.

Results:  The frequency of low HDL and high total cholesterol was higher in women with PCOS than control group (p =0.032, and p =0.001, respectively). No significant difference was seen between No two groups in the mean levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, HOMA IR, LAP, and PA (p >0.05). In women with BMI<25 and BMI between 25 and 30, the mean level of total cholesterol was higher in PCOS group than control group, whereas there was no significant difference in women with BMI>30. In women with BMI>30, the mean triglyceride and glucose levels was higher in PCOS group than control group (p=0.029, and p=0.010).

Conclusion:  In the present study, in obese women, triglyceride and fasting glucose levels were higher in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome than healthy women. In non-obese women, however, the total cholesterol level was higher in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome than healthy women.