The Relationship between Gestational Diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at risk of insulin resistance and pregnancy complications. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between gestational diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 126 pregnant women with PCOS and infertility history who became pregnant after stimulation of ovulation and referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz. These patients underwent screening with 75 g OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) during the first trimester and during 24-28 weeks of gestation. They were divided into two groups of PCOS with gestational diabetes and without gestational diabetes. Variables such as age, gestational diabetes, parity and BMI were measured and the relationship between BMI and gestational diabetes was examined. FINDINGS: The mean age of patients in the two PCOS groups with and without gestational diabetes was 26.09±2.03 and 27.07±3.03 years, respectively. Of the 126 pregnant women with PCOS, 30 (23.8%) patients were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in the first trimester of pregnancy and 11 (8.7%) patients during 24-28 weeks of gestation. Overall, 41(32.5%) patients had gestational diabetes and 85 (67.5%) patients did not have gestational diabetes. There was no significant difference in the mean BMI between the two PCOS groups with and without gestational diabetes. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that more than one third of women with PCOS experience gestational diabetes during pregnancy