PREVALENCE OF POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME AMONG STUDENTS OF RAK MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Introduction Gynecological diseases are quite common in adolescent females, most of them ignore the symptoms or they are unaware, till the time the problem really worsens. One of them is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Several studies conducted globally projecting prevalence of PCOS 8-33%; however there is limited data from middle east countries. Materials and Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was undertaken after the ethical approval in Ras AL Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU) to assess the prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among 250 adolescents girls aged 15-24 years. Results Mean age of subjects was 19.76 ± 1.68 years. The prevalence of PCOS was 27.6% (69 students) diagnosed by National Institute of health (NIH) criteria. Evidence of Clinical hyperandrogenism (androgen excess) was reported as hirsutism-56.5%, Alopecia-43.4%, Acne 49.3 %, Acanthosis-42%. PCOS subjects, having normal body mass index (BMI) were 46 (65.2%), overweight 13 (18.8%) obese 11 (15.9%). waist circumference, <80cm 45 (65.2%) >80cm 24 (34.7%). PCOS group was also studied in relation to possible risk factors like family history 42 (60.9%) smoking 1 (1.45%), alcohol (0), fast food 64 (92.8%) and Exercise 50 (72.5%) Conclusions This study demonstrates high prevalence of PCOS suggesting it is an emerging disorder during adolescence. Obesity is present in more than one third of patients with PCOS. This draws attention to the issue of early screening, diagnosis in adolescent girls and educating them for promoting healthy lifestyles and early interventions to prevent future morbidities