Return to series page to register.

In this webinar, Dr. Licy Yanes Cardozo presents the heightened cardiovascular risks in women with PCOS, the mechanisms underlying these risks, current treatments available, potential new therapies, and the existing knowledge gaps in women's health research.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women and can affect any age group. In 2021, CVD was responsible for the deaths of 310,661 women – or about 1 in every five female deaths (National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs), such as obesity, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure (BP). Increases in plasma androgens or hyperandrogenemia are found in about 80% of PCOS women. Compared to non-androgenic PCOS women, hyper-androgenic PCOS women have worse cardio-metabolic complications. Despite the strong evidence of increased incidence of CRFs in women with PCOS, whether this will translate into an increased rate of cardiovascular events and mortality has been difficult to demonstrate due to conflicting data.

Recent data from a large retrospective analysis of electronic health records showed that the risk of cardiovascular events in women with PCOS was significantly increased compared with BMI and age-matched control women. In addition, in this cohort, the average age of women with PCOS was only 26 years; thereby, this is a young group of women who are already experiencing cardiovascular disease. More research with long-term follow-up and a more significant number of participants is needed to elucidate the full impact of PCOS diagnosis on cardiovascular health in women. Until then, aggressive management of cardiovascular risk factors must be sought in those affected. Therapeutic agents and options to treat cardiometabolic complications in women with PCOS are limited.

This webinar will discuss interventions to effectively and safely alleviate CRFs in women with PCOS.

Key Topics Include:

• To review the cardiovascular risk factors associated with hyperandrogenemia in PCOS women


• To identify critical mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS women


• To describe the current therapeutic agents available in the clinic to treat cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS women


• Discuss novel therapeutic agents that could treat cardiovascular disease in women with PCOS


• Identify gaps in knowledge in women’s health research