Quality of life in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

A cross-sectional study in 116 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was carried out by using the short-form-36 health survey (SF-36), serf-rating anxiety scale ( SAS), and self-rating depression scale (SDS) from January 2008 to April 2008 in our reproduction center. In comparison with the healthy controls, the PCOS patients showed decreased quality of life (QOL) for all items of SF-36 (P<0.05) except for body pain or role-physical scales. The differences in SAS and SDS between the PCOS and the healthy controls were statistically significant (P<0.05). Our study results confirm the negative impacts of PCOS over the quality of life;subfertility, obesity, hirsutism, acne, complications, menstrual irregularity and educational levels might contribute to the reduced QOL. Key words: Polycystic ovary syndrome; Quality of life