Understanding Pain in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Health Risks and Treatment Effectiveness

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in women, often accompanied by various symptoms including significant pain, such as dysmenorrhea, abdominal, and pelvic pain, which remains underexplored. This retrospective study examines electronic health records (EHR) data to assess the prevalence of pain in women with PCOS. Conducted on May 29, 2024, using data from 120 Health Care Organizations within the TriNetX Global Network, the study involved 76,859,666 women from diverse racial backgrounds. The analysis focused on the prevalence of pain among women with PCOS, both overall and in those prescribed PCOS-related medications. Relative risk ratios (RR) were calculated for future health outcomes and stratified by self-reported race. The study found that 19.21% of women with PCOS experienced pain, with the highest prevalence among Black or African American (32.11%) and White (30.75%) populations. Both the PCOS and PCOS and Pain cohorts exhibited increased RR for various health conditions, with significant differences noted across racial groups for infertility, ovarian cysts, obesity, and respiratory diseases. Additionally, women with PCOS who were treated with PCOS-related medications showed a decrease in pain diagnoses following treatment. In conclusion, this study highlights the critical need to address pain in the diagnosis and management of PCOS due to its significant impact on patient health outcomes. Impact StatementInsufficient data exist on the prevalence of pain in women with a PCOS diagnosis, and its associations with future health outcomes. Among, 444,348 women with PCOS in the TriNextX Global Network, 19.21% have dysmenorrhea, abdominal, and pelvic pain. Women with PCOS and Pain are at increased risk for developing ovarian cysts, infertility, T2D, and fatty liver disease and are at further risk when stratified by self-reported race groups.