[Anthropometric and metabolic evaluation of first-degree male relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Purpose: To evaluate clinical and laboratory characteristics of first-degree male relatives of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare the findings with a control group with no family history of PCOS.

Methods: We randomly selected 28 male individuals aged 18 to 65 years who were first-degree relatives of women diagnosed with PCOS and 28 controls matched for age, waist and body mass index (BMI).

Results: Men with 1st degree kinship with women with PCOS had higher levels of triglycerides (189.6±103.1 versus 99.4±37.1, p<0.0001), Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) (3.5±9.1 versus 1.0±1.0, p=0.0077) and glucose (130.1±81.7 versus 89.5±7.8, p=0.005), and lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (23.8±13.8 versus 31.1±9.1, p=0.003). SHBG levels correlated independently with triglyceride levels. These individuals also had more clinical signs of hyperandrogenism.

Conclusions: Male individuals who are first-degree relatives of patients with PCOS have a higher degree of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, lower levels of SHBG, and more evident clinical signs of hyperandrogenism. These findings suggest that insulin resistance may be of hereditary origin in individuals with a family history of PCOS regardless of anthropometric parameters.