Women with PMOS may have a fourfold higher risk of heart disease, new research suggests.

PMOS, or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, is a complex hormone condition affecting about one in eight women in the UK.

It can affect hair growth, periods, fertility and mood.

US researchers analysed health insurance data collected between 2000 and 2022 from 413,450 women with PMOS aged 18 to 50.

They compared the group with more than two million women who did not have the condition.

The study found that women with PMOS had a fourfold higher risk of heart disease than those without it.

The increased risk remained after researchers accounted for other factors linked to heart disease, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

International PMOS guidelines recommend screening all patients for heart disease risk at diagnosis and providing advice on lifestyle changes.

However, researchers said patient surveys “report delayed diagnosis and substantial dissatisfaction with counselling regarding long-term comorbidities”.

Comorbidities are additional health conditions that occur alongside a main condition.

Researchers added: “Our results emphasise the need for physician education and patient awareness of cardiovascular disease risk to improve implementation of early preventive interventions.”

The team called for further studies following women through menopause, when periods stop.

They also called for research into whether treatments such as GLP-1 drugs or hormonal contraception affect the link between PMOS and heart disease.

GLP-1 drugs are medicines used for conditions including type 2 diabetes and weight management.

The main symptoms of PMOS include irregular periods or long gaps between periods, excessive hair growth or hair loss, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, and difficulty becoming pregnant.

Other symptoms include depression or anxiety, oily skin and acne, tiredness, and thick, dark patches of skin on the neck or armpits, known as acanthosis nigricans.

Until recently, PMOS was known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS.

Experts called for the name change after highlighting that misunderstandings about cysts and too much focus on the ovaries were delaying diagnoses.

Earlier this month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said women with PMOS should be seen by health professionals annually to monitor symptoms and manage long-term risks.

NICE said the condition affects between three and four million women in the UK but is “frequently underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed”.

Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer have a 59 per cent higher risk of ischaemic stroke in the first year after diagnosis, research suggests.

Researchers also said survivors who develop sudden stroke symptoms, including one-sided weakness, facial drooping, speech difficulties or vision loss, should seek immediate medical attention.

The multicentre study analysed National Health Insurance Service data from 107,606 women who underwent surgery for newly diagnosed breast cancer and compared them with 322,818 age-matched women with no history of cancer.

The research was conducted by professor Shin Dong-wook of Samsung Medical Center, professor Han Kyung-do of Soongsil University, professor Yong-Moon Mark Park of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and professor Wonyoung Jung of the University of Pennsylvania.

Professor Yong-Moon Mark Park said: “The study demonstrates a time-dependent pattern in which the risk of ischaemic stroke rises sharply immediately after breast cancer diagnosis and treatment before gradually declining.

“The key finding is that we evaluated stroke risk according to different stages following diagnosis and treatment. This suggests that clinicians should consider not only how much the risk increases, but also when it is greatest.”

The study included women aged 18 or older who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2016, underwent surgery and had no previous stroke.

Each patient was matched with three women of the same birth year who did not have cancer. Participants were followed for an average of 7.2 years.

The main outcome was ischaemic stroke, also known as cerebral infarction. It occurs when a blocked blood vessel cuts off blood flow to the brain and is a leading cause of death and long-term disability.

During follow-up, ischaemic stroke occurred in 1,155 breast cancer patients, or 1.07 per cent, and 3,698 women in the control group, or 1.15 per cent.

Overall, breast cancer surgery was not linked to a significantly higher long-term risk of ischaemic stroke, and researchers recorded a slight fall in risk over time.

However, a different pattern emerged immediately after diagnosis.

Within one year of diagnosis, patients had a 59 per cent higher risk of ischaemic stroke than women without cancer.

The risk was highest during the first three months, at 2.90 times that of the control group.

It remained elevated within six months, at 2.27 times the control group’s risk, before gradually declining.

The risk was still 17 per cent higher three years after diagnosis.

Researchers said the temporary increase may be linked to cancer-related hypercoagulability, inflammatory responses to surgery and treatment, and cardiovascular stress caused by anticancer therapies.

Hypercoagulability means the blood is more likely than usual to form clots. Cardiovascular refers to the heart and blood vessels.

The increased risk was particularly pronounced among patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes or a history of current smoking.

Hypertension means high blood pressure. Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition affecting how the body controls blood sugar.

Breast cancer patients who smoked had a 2.26-fold higher risk of ischaemic stroke than comparable women without cancer.

Principal researcher professor Shin Dong-wook stressed the importance of vigilant care for patients with cardiovascular risk factors, especially during the early phase of breast cancer treatment.

Shin said: “Patients with hypertension, diabetes, or other cardiovascular risk factors, as well as those who smoke, require particularly careful management during the early phase of breast cancer treatment.

“If patients who have undergone breast cancer treatment suddenly develop weakness in one arm or leg, facial drooping, slurred or abnormal speech, or vision loss on one side, ischaemic stroke should be suspected, and they should seek immediate medical evaluation.”

Researchers said survivorship care should include strategies to monitor and manage cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease risk throughout treatment as advances in breast cancer care continue to improve survival.

Cerebrovascular disease refers to conditions affecting blood flow and blood vessels in the brain.

Nearly six in ten young women get health and wellness advice from influencers, new research shows.

Women aged 18 to 29 were more likely than young men to use online influencers for health information.

The topics included beauty, alternative medicine, mental health, weight loss and fitness.

The Pew Research study found that 57 per cent of women aged 18 to 29 said they get health and wellness information from online influencers, 10 percentage points higher than young men.

While Americans still mostly rely on healthcare providers, the research suggests social media influencers also play a major role in how young people find health advice.

Among women who get health and wellness information from influencers, 51 per cent said they often hear about beauty and appearance, compared with 18 per cent of men.

Young women were also around twice as likely as young men to say they see content about alternative medicine, meaning treatments or health practices used outside mainstream medical care.

A third or more of both young men and young women said they often hear about mental health and weight loss from influencers.

Around half or more of both groups said they often see fitness content.

When asked why they seek health and wellness information from influencers, around half of young women said they wanted to make a change to their health or lifestyle.

That compared with 37 per cent of young men.

The research also found that 23 per cent of young women said hearing from people who share their background or beliefs was one reason they used influencers, compared with 14 per cent of young men.

A further 19 per cent of young women said they learnt about things they did not want to ask their doctor, compared with 10 per cent of young men.