31 March 2006

US researchers have found an intrinsic link between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and bipolar disorder that is unrelated to treatment with the mood stabilising drug valproate.

Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders, Drs Kimberly Klipstein, from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and Joseph Goldberg, from Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, explain that previous reports have attributed PCOS – a condition in which cysts in the ovary interfere with normal ovulation and menstruation – to valproate treatment in women with bipolar disorder.

However, they add: "Unresolved controversy persists regarding a potential association between valproate use and the development of PCOS."

To investigate further, the researchers studied the presence of bipolar disorder among 78 women with PCOS.

In all, 21 women had either a history of bipolar disorder or screened positive for the illness in tests conducted by Drs Klipstein and Goldberg.

Further analysis revealed that the past or current use of valproate was rare among the participants. Indeed, none of the 78 participants were taking valproate at the time of the study, and only two women had taken valproate prior to their PCOS diagnosis.

There were no significant differences between those with and without bipolar disorder regarding age, race, body mass index, or family history of bipolar disorder.

The researchers conclude: "Findings from this pilot study suggest that features of bipolar disorder may be substantially more prevalent among premenopausal women with PCOS than would be expected based on rates of bipolar disorder reported in the general population."

They add: "The data are suggestive of a relationship between PCOS and bipolarity, independent of valproate use that warrants further clarification."