Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 May 11;51(5):105051. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105051. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the global, regional and national burden of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), particularly in adolescents, based on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study?
DESIGN: Prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability (YLD) for PCOS were extracted from the GBD 2021 database, standardized via Bayesian meta-regression, and stratified by age, region and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). Temporal trends (1990-2021) were presented, and future projections (to 2045) were modelled using autoregressive integrated moving average models.
RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2021, the global prevalence of PCOS increased from 36.7 million [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 26.2-50.6] to 69.5 million (95% UI 49.5-95.7), and the incidence increased from 1.5 million (95% UI 1.1-2.0) to 2.3 million (95% UI 1.7-3.2). YLD nearly doubled during this period. Adolescents (age 15-19 years) showed the greatest increase in incidence, influenced by diagnostic improvements. Projection analyses suggested continued growth, particularly in middle-SDI regions, by 2045.
CONCLUSIONS: The rising global burden of PCOS, particularly among adolescents, underscores the need for early screening, targeted interventions and socio-economic support, especially in resource-limited regions.
PMID:40925263 | DOI:10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105051
