4-OR: Fat Contents in Pancreatic Body and Liver Are Synergistic Risk Factors for Impaired Glucose Regulation in PCOS

Introduction & Objective: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more prone to glucose metabolic abnormalities, which is thought to be related to increased visceral adiposity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between fat deposition in the pancreas and liver and glucose metabolism in PCOS.

Methods: This study included 160 women with PCOS diagnosed according to the Rotterdam 2003 criteria between April 2019 and September 2022. All participants underwent the anthropometric and biochemical assessments including an oral glucose tolerance test. Magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction was used to measure fat deposition in the pancreas and liver.

Results: Pancreatic interlobular fat volume, pancreatic body fat content and liver fat content were significantly higher in PCOS with diabetes than normal glucose tolerance (P < 0.05). Increased pancreatic body fat [OR 2.21 (95% CI 1.01 - 4.85), P = 0.047] and hepatic average fat [OR 2.92 (95% CI 1.13 - 7.51), P = 0.026] were independently associated with higher risks for impaired glucose regulation (IGR). Patients with high pancreatic body fat and high hepatic average fat had increased risk for IGR after multiple confounding adjustments [OR 5.49 (95% CI 1.63 - 18.47), P = 0.006]. Combining pancreatic body fat and hepatic average fat with age, BMI, WHR, TG and FAI, the AUC for predicting IGR in PCOS was 0.789 with a sensitivity of 0.713 and a specificity of 0.800.

Conclusion: Fat contents in the pancreatic body and liver are synergistic risk factors for IGR in PCOS.