RCOG Green-top Guideline No. 33: Long-term Consequences of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Archived)

This edition has been retired. The current, more detailed international reference for PCOS assessment and management — diagnosis, screening, and treatment across all features including the long-term consequences this guideline addressed — is the 2023 ESHRE International Evidence-Based Guideline for PCOS (eshre/eshre-pcos-2023.md).

What This Guideline Specifically Covered (for historical context)

RCOG GTG 33 focused narrowly on the long-term health consequences of PCOS beyond the reproductive-age presentation, distinct from diagnosis or fertility management:

• Cardiometabolic risk: PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and an increased lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes — periodic metabolic screening was recommended, particularly in women with obesity.
• Endometrial risk: chronic anovulation causes unopposed oestrogen exposure, raising endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer risk — the guideline recommended withdrawal bleeds at least every 3-4 months (via cyclical progestogen or combined hormonal contraception) in women with prolonged amenorrhoea.
• Cardiovascular risk: PCOS was noted as an independent risk factor meriting cardiovascular risk-factor monitoring (lipids, blood pressure) over the long term, though the evidence for excess cardiovascular events (as opposed to risk factors) was noted as less certain than for the metabolic associations above.

See eshre/eshre-pcos-2023.md for the current, fuller international guideline covering diagnosis, screening, and management across all PCOS features, including these long-term consequences.

Source: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)

Read the original on rcog.org.uk

Clinically reviewed by NHS obstetricians and gynaecologists

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