Prevalence of symptoms associated with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of symptoms associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a population-based sample of women from Northern Sweden, and to relate symptoms of PCOS to features of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: A population-based survey of 147 women under 40 years of age sampled from 267 eligible women from the Northern Sweden component of the World Health Organization's MONICA study. The study involved questionnaires, physical examination, and assays of testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of symptoms associated with PCOS was 4.8% in the study population. Features of metabolic syndrome were more common in women with signs of hyperandrogenism than in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of PCOS in Northern Sweden corresponds with other prevalence studies. A simple questionnaire and analysis of the free androgen index are sufficient to detect the subgroup with the highest risk for metabolic syndrome.