ABSTRACT
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age (1,2), making it one of the most common endocrine disorders in this age group. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia appear to be central to the pathogenesis of both the reproductive and metabolic aberrations that characterize the syndrome. This chapter focuses on the metabolic components of PCOS, particularly those which may impart risk for development of cardiovascular disease: obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea.
