Objectives: To compare the clinical characteristics of pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and perinatal outcomes with or without preeclampsia (PE) and to factors that are potentially associated with the onset of PE.
Material and methods: This was a retrospective study of pregnant women diagnosed with PCOS from January 2017 to December 2021. Eligible patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of preeclampsia: a PE group and a non-PE group. Demographics, clinical characteristics, maternal and perinatal outcomes, and potential factors linked to disease recurrence were analyzed.
Results: In total, 616 patients were enrolled and respectively classified into the PE group (n = 51) and the non-PE group (n = 565). The incidence of PE in pregnant women with PCOS was 8.28%; this was significantly higher than that in non-PCOS pregnant women (3.22%, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis of the predictive factors for PE in women with PCOS revealed that the combination of maternal hyperandrogenism, a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m², and a family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and assisted reproductive techniques (ART) exhibited the steepest receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve value at 0.797 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.733-0.862].
Conclusions: Patients with PCOS have a higher incidence of PE. We identified a series of significant and independent factors associated with PE in PCOS: maternal hyperandrogenism, a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m², and a family history of CVD and ART.
Keywords: PCOS; hyperandrogenism; obstetric outcomes; predictors; preeclampsia.