Harvard-Apple Study Finds That PCOS Might Negatively Affect Heart Health
I’m one of the many women that struggle with PCOS on a regular basis. A little shift in weight means I won’t get my period for that month or months after that. Backaches, headaches, chest pains, sensitive breasts, acne, boils, etc. are some of the many side effects of PCOS. And now adding to the list are heart issues. Yep, a recent study conducted by Harvard University in collaboration with Apple found that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may be at risk of heart problems. Just great (note the sarcasm)!
A study conducted by an Indian-American researcher at Harvard University in collaboration with Apple, the tech giant, showed that PCOS can cause diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure – all conditions that can cause heart problems.
More often than not PCOS has always been known to have a negative impact on the menstrual cycle, periods, and menstruation, this new Harvard-Apple study shows that it can negatively impact the heart and circulatory health.
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Assistant professor of environmental, reproductive, and women’s health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, “Despite the association between PCOS and heart-related conditions, historically, research studies about heart health have not included information about menstrual cycles. More broadly speaking, menstrual health is also significantly under-represented in the research space.” She further added that their study is trying to understand how periods and menstruation can affect overall health.
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The Harvard study on PCOS was based on a survey that had over 37,000 participants. The survey had a list of questions ranging from their gynaecological conditions, family medical history, and heart health. Out of these 37,000 participants, 30,000 of them answered questions regarding their menstruation cycle on their Apple Health App.
And the results of the Harvard-Apple study revealed that when compared to participants without PCOS, the ones with it were 4 times more likely to have pre-diabetic conditions and 3 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes.
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In fact, the participants with PCOS had a 1.7 times higher possibility of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels than those without it. Around 61% of the participants with PCOS reported affecting their blood pressure, impacting their cholesterol levels, having obesity, and increased risk of conditions like diabetes.
The study conducted by Harvard University recommended changing lifestyle habits to ensure menstrual cycle regularity and improve heart health. It also suggested changing exercise routines, eating nutritious healthy food, having a better sleep cycle, staying hydrated, and keeping your mental health in check.
As someone who struggles with it, I can attest to the fact that making changes in your lifestyle does positively impact your condition. Having said that, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it is scary to know it might have a really drastic effect on our heart health.
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