ESPE Abstracts

Background: While polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is implicated with insulin resistance and obesity, little is known about the abnormal energy imbalance contribution to the disease. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) represents the energy expenditure by a normal subject at rest, remote from eating, in a thermally neutral environment, reflecting the 50–70% of total daily metabolism. The relevant literature is limited with conflicting results- worth meta-analysis approach.

Aim: To evaluate the basal metabolic rate in PCOS by meta-analysis.

Methods: Data collection in Pubmed has been performed in April 2019 with keywords "BMR in PCOS". After PRISMA protocol, four cross-sectional studies on PCOS vs controls (BMI, age adjusted) were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis was performed with SPSS software and the summarized effect size of BMR is evaluated with Hedge's g correction for small samples.

Results: studies on patients vs non-patients met the inclusion criteria. A non- significant fixed effect of g=0,043 95% CI (0.264, -0.177) is calculated, whilst, if we exclude one study after bias and weighing control, the effect size becomes significant: g= -0,31 95% CI (-0.069, -0.551).

Conclusions: BMR is decreased in the PCOS syndrome, thus, energy homeostasis and metabolism imbalance are implicated to the syndrome.