Association between metabolic syndrome and pelvic organ prolapse severity

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: As in the case of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has been rising with the increasing proportion of elderly women in the population. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the components of metabolic syndrome (MS) in urogynecological patients with a variable POP severity. METHODS: The MS risk factors (elevated waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, hyperglycemia) were assessed in 100 women who were referred to our urogynecological center with pelvic floor disorders (PFD). POP was evaluated with the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q). RESULTS: The χ (2) test revealed that the diagnosis of MS and the presence of elevated triglycerides increased with the overall POP-Q stage. The other MS risk factors were not significantly associated with the overall POP-Q stage. MS and elevated triglycerides were predictors of the POP-Q stage ≥III [odds ratio (OR) 3.5, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.5–8.2 for MS and OR 3.4, 95 % CI 1.4–8.2 for elevated triglycerides, p < 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of MS and the presence of elevated triglycerides may be associated with the severity of POP in urogynecological patients. Longitudinal studies are required to assess whether the MS risk factors might predict the progression of POP and whether elimination of the risk factors might improve the prognosis in POP patients.