Central adiposity is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, even among people with normal body mass index (BMI). We tested the hypothesis that regional body fat deposits (trunk or leg fat) are associated with altered risk of CVD among postmenopausal women with normal BMI. We included 2683 postmenopausal women with normal BMI (18.5 to <25 kg/m²) who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative and had no known CVD at baseline. Body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Incident CVD events including coronary heart disease and stroke were ascertained through February 2017. During a median 17.9 years of follow-up, 291 incident CVD cases occurred. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical risk factors, neither whole-body fat mass nor fat percentage was associated with CVD risk. Higher percent trunk fat was associated with increased risk of CVD [highest vs. lowest quartile hazard ratio (HR) = 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–2.74; P-trend <0.001], whereas higher percent leg fat was associated with decreased risk of CVD (highest vs. lowest quartile HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43–0.89; P-trend = 0.008). The association for trunk fat was attenuated yet remained significant after further adjustment for waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio. Higher percent trunk fat combined with lower percent leg fat was associated with particularly high risk of CVD (HR comparing extreme groups = 3.33, 95% CI 1.46–7.62). Among postmenopausal women with normal BMI, both elevated trunk fat and reduced leg fat are associated with increased risk of CVD.

The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, insulin resistance/diabetes and/or uterine pathology appears to be increased in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), although more outcome studies are necessary to determine incidence. Data pertaining to some of the potential long-term health consequences associated with PCOS are summarized. Medline, Current Contents and PubMed were searched for studies from the time of our original interest in this issue in 1980 to the present. The review is limited to published human data. The current literature indicate that women with this syndrome cluster risk factors for premature morbidity and mortality. Large multi-site co-operative studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term health outcomes.

The objective of this study was to determine performance characteristics of Ferriman Gallwey self-scoring in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome. A simultaneous Ferriman Gallwey map scoring design was used. The study was performed at the General Clinical Research Center in a university medical center. Twenty-one hirsute patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome were studied. Interventions included masked patient, physician, and research nurse simultaneous and independent Ferriman Gallwey map scoring. The main outcome measures were modified Ferriman Gallwey map scores. Agreement analysis demonstrated that patient self scores, physician scores, and research nurse scores were quite discrepant. The modified Ferriman Gallwey Map scoring system has too much variation to be clinically useful.