The impact of insulin resistance on metabolic syndrome among women with polycystic ovary syndrome in Basrah Governate, Iraq

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders often coexist with other metabolic disturbances, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). Women with PCOS are at increased risk of insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of study was to evaluate the impact of IR on MetS among females with PCOS in Basrah, Iraq. A case-control study was conducted at Basrah Maternity and Children’s Hospital between June, 2024 throughout September, 2025. A total of 100 women with PCOS identified by Rotterdam criteria and 100 age-matched control women were enrolled. Anthropometric, physiological, and biochemical parameters including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. in addition, the degree of IR (by HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (by HOMA-B) was measured. The presence of MetS was confirmed by the updated NCEP ATP III criteria. The frequency of MetS was significantly higher among women with PCOS (48%) compared to normal women (21%), p