MONDAY, Feb. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk for suicide, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Tien-Wei Hsu, M.D., from E-DA Dachang Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a cohort study using data from the Taiwanese nationwide database from 1997 to 2012 to examine suicide risk in patients with PCOS. A total of 18,960 patients diagnosed with PCOS were matched to controls in a 1:10 ratio on the basis of age, psychiatric comorbid conditions, urbanization level, and income.

The researchers found that after adjustment for demographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbid conditions, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and frequency of all-cause clinical visits, participants with PCOS had a significantly increased risk for suicide attempt compared with controls (hazard ratio, 8.47). The elevated risk was seen among adolescents, young adults (<40 years), and older adults (hazard ratios, 5.38, 9.15, and 3.75, respectively). Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses involving the exclusion of data from the first year or first three years of observation.

“These findings emphasize the importance of clinician vigilance in monitoring the mental well-being and suicide risk of patients diagnosed with PCOS,” the authors write. “Increased awareness and destigmatization of PCOS are essential in the general community and among girls and women.”

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