Assessment of Functional Capacity and Fatigue Severity in Young Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) commonly affects females of reproductive age in India, causing hormone imbalances, irregular menstrual cycles, high testosterone levels, and cysts. It is a chronic illness with no known cure, but medication, lifestyle modifications, and fertility treatments can help in managing some symptoms. In addition to the above irregularities, many physical symptoms, like fatigue and reduced functional capacity (maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2 max), commonly affect the day-to-day activities of these patients. The degree of impact of PCOS on functional capacity is still underexplored. Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the VO2 max and fatigue level of young females with PCOS. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in which a total of 37 young females from health science institutions with PCOS aged 18-24 years participated in the study. The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was used to evaluate the fatigue level of females with PCOS. The VO2 max of the participants was estimated using the Queens College step test (QCST). The Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.64+1.35 years. The participants' mean VO2 max was 35.25 mL/kg/min, which is lower than the typical average of 36-45 mL/kg/min. This implies that compared to healthy individuals, females with PCOS had decreased cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) levels. There was no statistically significant correlation between the duration of PCOS, fatigue, and VO2 max. The mean fatigue score of 39.56 indicates that the majority of patients experienced above-average levels of fatigue (p > 0.05). Conclusion: PCOS does not significantly impact VO2 max in young females, although they showed mildly lower VO2 max and mild to moderate fatigue levels compared to healthy individuals. Further research is needed to assess the impact of chronic PCOS on these variables.