Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the Long-Term Risk of Arrhythmias
- Matched cohort study
- nationwide Danish registry
- age- and year-matched 1:4
Authors' conclusion
Women with PCOS had a higher associated long-term risk of developing arrhythmias and a higher incidence of receiving a CIED compared with female controls from the background population.
Study context
- Population
- Women diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in Denmark, 1977–2024, and matched female controls
- Participants
- 26,728 vs 106,912
- Exposure
- PCOS vs matched female controls
- PCOSn = 26,728
- Controlsn = 106,912reference
- Outcome
- Incident arrhythmia
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Arrhythmia · 25 years
PCOS vs ControlsHazard ratio (95% CI)
unadjusted
1.56(1.43–1.71)
adjusted
1.48(1.35–1.63)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
per 10 000 person-years
| Outcome | PCOS | Controls | adjusted HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrhythmia subtypes · advanced atrioventricular block | 1.76 (1.05–2.93) | |||
| Arrhythmia subtypes · cardiac arrest | 1.44 (1.03–2.08) | |||
| Arrhythmia subtypes · AF or flutter | 1.44 (1.20–1.73) | |||
| CIED implantation (pacemaker or ICD) | 1.9 (95% CI 1.5–2.5) | 1.1 (95% CI 0.9–1.3) | 1.85 (1.30–2.63) | |
| 0.20.5125Adjusted hazard ratio (log scale) |
Arrhythmia and cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) by medication use
- Higher risk independent of metformin, oral contraception, spironolactone, antiandrogens and GLP-1 receptor analogs
Original publication
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the Long-Term Risk of Arrhythmias. Circulation. Published 22 January 2026. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.125.078039
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it