Vol. 10, Issue 1, Part A (2026)

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders often coexist with other metabolic disturbances, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). Women with PCOS are at increased risk of insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of study was to evaluate the impact of IR on MetS among females with PCOS in Basrah, Iraq. A case-control study was conducted at Basrah Maternity and Children’s Hospital between June, 2024 throughout September, 2025. A total of 100 women with PCOS identified by Rotterdam criteria and 100 age-matched control women were enrolled. Anthropometric, physiological, and biochemical parameters including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. in addition, the degree of IR (by HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (by HOMA-B) was measured. The presence of MetS was confirmed by the updated NCEP ATP III criteria. The frequency of MetS was significantly higher among women with PCOS (48%) compared to normal women (21%), p<0.001. The frequencies of MetS components were significantly elevated among patients with PCOS than in control women (82% vs. 49% for WC), (38% vs. 5.0% for FPG), (25% vs. 10% for BP), (72% vs. 31% for TG), p<0.001 and (53% vs. 33% for HDL-C), p<0.01. In addition, the frequencies of both HOMA-IR and HOMA-B showed significant elevation among patients with PCOS (3.53 and 113.9 respectively) than normal women (1.25 and 51.23 respectively), p<0.001. In conclusion, MetS is highly prevalent among women with PCOS in Basrah. These findings highlight the need for regular metabolic screening and appropriate intervention to reduce the risk long-term CVD sequel.