Context:Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased prevalence of insulin resistance and display subclinical evidence of early cardiovascular disease. Metformin improves insulin sensitivity and circulating markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with PCOS, but it is unclear whether this translates into improvements in vascular function.Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the effects of metformin on arterial stiffness and endothelial function in women with PCOS. Design and Intervention:Thirty women with PCOS were assigned to consecutive 12-wk treatment periods of metformin or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design separated by an 8-wk washout. Main Outcome Measures:The primary outcome measures were assessments of arterial stiffness [augmentation index (AIx), central blood pressure, and brachial and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV)] and endothelial function. Anthropometry, testosterone, and metabolic biochemistry (lipids, homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) were also assessed.Results: Metformin improved AIx [Ϫ6.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) for the difference Ϫ8.5 to Ϫ3.5%; P Ͻ 0.001], aortic PWV (Ϫ0.76 m/sec; 95% CI for the difference Ϫ1.12 to Ϫ0.4 m/sec; P Ͻ 0.001), brachial PWV (Ϫ0.73 m/sec; 95% CI for the difference Ϫ1.09 to Ϫ0.38; P Ͻ 0.001), central blood pressure (P Ͻ 0.001), and endothelium-dependent (AIx after albuterol; P ϭ 0.003) and endothelium-independent (AIx after nitroglycerin; P Ͻ 0.001) vascular responses. Metformin also reduced weight (P Ͻ 0.001), waist circumference (P Ͻ 0.001), and triglycerides (P ϭ 0.004) and increased adiponectin (P ϭ 0.001) but did not affect testosterone or other metabolic measures.Conclusions: Short-term metformin therapy improves arterial stiffness and endothelial function in young women with PCOS. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 95: 722-730, 2010) P olycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age, affecting approximately 7% of the premenopausal population (1). In addition to its effects on reproductive health, it is now well recognized that PCOS is a metabolic disorder, characterized by increased insulin resistance (2), which leads to an excess lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes (3, 4). Patients with this condition display a cluster of metabolic disturbances, including obesity (5), dyslipidemia (6), impaired fibrinolysis (7), and hypertension (8) Abbreviations: AIx, Augmentation index; AMPK, AMP kinase; aPWV, aortic PWV; BMI, body mass index; bPWV, brachial PWV; FAI, free androgen index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment method for insulin resistance; LDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NTG, nitroglycerin; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome; PWV, pulse wave velocity; TC, total cholesterol; T R , estimated aortic pulse wave velocity.

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Short-term DHEA supplementation does not significantly affect measures of arterial stiffness or endothelial function in patients with adrenal insufficiency.

A prospective hospital-based study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of serum transferrin receptors in the detection of iron deficiency in pregnant women. The iron status of 100 pregnant women with single uncomplicated term pregnancies in the first stage of labor was established using standard laboratory measures. These included complete hemogram, red cell indices, serum iron, percent transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin. In addition, serum transferrin receptor (STFR) was estimated. The results of 81 women with complete laboratory profiles were analyzed. Thirty-five (43.2%) women were anemic (hemoglobin <11 g/dl). Hemoglobin (Hb) showed a significant correlation with MCH, MCHC, serum iron, and percent transferrin saturation, suggesting that the anemia was likely to be due to iron deficiency. The mean STFR level was 18.05+/-9.9 mg/l in the anemic women and was significantly raised (p<0.001) compared with that of the nonanemic women. STFR correlated significantly with Hb (p<0.001), MCH (p<0.05), MCHC (p<0.01), serum iron (p<0.01), and percent transferrin saturation (p<0.01) and also showed a highly significant correlation with the degree of anemia. Serum ferritin in these women did not correlate with Hb, and only 54.4% of the women had levels <12 ng/ml, which does not reflect the true prevalence of iron deficiency. Serum transferrin receptor estimation is thus a useful measure for detecting iron deficiency in pregnancy.