Global and regional burden of polycystic ovary syndrome, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2021.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), characterized by chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance, is one of the most common reproductive endocrinopathies. This study uses the updated Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database (1990-2021), which has a larger number of cases, to explore the global burden of PCOS in depth.

Methods: This research leveraged the GBD 2021 dataset to examine the incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and the corresponding age-standardized rate (ASR) of PCOS. The study used the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) to assess the trends in the burden of PCOS over the period from 1990 to 2021. The association between the burden of PCOS and socio-demographic index (SDI) was then analysed, as well as the changing trends in the incidence and prevalence of PCOS in different age groups. Ultimately, the research prognosticated the disease burden linked to PCOS during the span from 2022 to 2031.

Results: During the period spanning from 1990 to 2021, the quantity of incident cases, prevalent cases, and YLDs of PCOS gradually grew. The ASIR, ASPR, and ASYR increased most rapidly in Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2021. In addition, there were significant positive correlations between ASIR, ASPR and ASYR of PCOS and the SDI of 21 GBD regions (P < 0.05, |correlation (cor)| >0.3). Notably, the prevalence of PCOS among women in most age groups showed an upward trend over time. Finally, it was forecasted that between 2022 and 2031, there would be a rising trend in both the incidence and prevalence of PCOS.

Conclusion: This study showed that the ASIR and ASPR of PCOS were increasing year by year, which suggested that we needed to strengthen the related research as well as the prevention and treatment work on PCOS.