Atherogenic changes in low-density lipoprotein particle profiles were not observed in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

STUDY QUESTION Is a preponderance of small dense low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) observed in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Non-obese Korean women with PCOS have no quantitative or qualitative changes in LDL-C profiles. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Small dense LDL particles (sd-LDL) are more atherogenic than large buoyant ones and are strongly associated with coronary artery disease independent of other risk factors. Many investigators have found an increased proportion of atherogenic sd-LDL or a decreased mean LDL particle size in women with PCOS, but all of these studies have been based primarily on obese or overweight women with PCOS. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a case–control study evaluating complete lipid and lipoprotein profiles in 64 PCOS patients and 64 age- and BMI-matched controls. All women with PCOS in our study population were not obese. To determine the differences in the LDL particle profiles between PCOS phenotypes, the patients with PCOS were divided into two subgroups according to the presence of clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Using the Rotterdam criteria, we recruited 64 women (18–40 years) with PCOS who were attending a tertiary university hospital. A total of 64 premenopausal control women were matched with patients based on exact age and BMI (±1.0 kg/m2). All the participants fell within the non-obese range of the BMI (