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The following is a summary of “Association between waist-to-height ratio and insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis,” published in the April 2025 issue of Frontiers in Endocrinology by Lan et al. 

Insulin resistance (IR) played a critical role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and studies suggested variations in waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) among those with and without IR, though no consensus had been established.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the correlation between WHtR and IR in PCOS through meta-analysis and data synthesis.  

They registered the systematic review on PROSPERO (CRD42025638798) and searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and manually for relevant studies. Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) published before January 13, 2025, were included. The NOS tool assessed the quality of case-control and cohort studies, while Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria evaluated cross-sectional studies. Outcomes were reported as mean ± sd, and data analysis was conducted using StataMP17.0.  

The results showed that a meta-analysis of 9 studies with 3,012 participants found a significant association between higher WHtR and IR in individuals with PCOS (SMD = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.81–1.32, P = 0.000).  

Investigators concluded that patients with PCOS and IR indicated a greater WHtR compared to those with PCOS without IR, suggesting that WHtR monitoring could anticipate the incidence of IR in patients with PCOS. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1567787/full