Work

The impact of daily steps on polycystic ovary syndrome patients

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives As a reproductive-metabolic disorder, lifestyle interventions play a crucial role in managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients. However, maintaining physical activity in PCOS patients is often challenging. Daily steps are now widely used to provide relatively simple physical activity goals for the general public. This study examines the impact of daily steps on patients with PCOS, aiming to develop simple and effective intervention strategies for them. Methods This study included anthropometric parameters, metabolic indicators, sex hormones, and daily steps from women aged 16–40 years with PCOS (n=167) and without PCOS (n=152). Participants were divided into obese and non-obese groups based on BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² for intergroup comparisons, comprehensively evaluating the association between daily steps and various indicators. Results Among PCOS patients, 42.9% were sedentary, while only 8.8% were active or highly active. Indicators significantly correlated with step count in the correlation analysis underwent further multivariate linear regression analysis. RCS analysis further validated the positive linear relationship between HDL and daily step count in PCOS patients (P for non-linear = 0.125). For PCOS patients without obesity, daily step count showed linear relationships with TG (P for non-linear = 0.211), HDL (P for non-linear = 0.255), and VAI (P for non-linear = 0.839). Additionally, daily steps showed linear relationships with body fat percentage (BFP, p=0.033, R 2 = 0.454), android fat percentage (p=0.045, R 2 = 0.413), Android/Gynoid ratio (A/G, p=0.041, R 2 = 0.425), fat mass index (FMI, p=0.007, R 2 = 0.671), and percent trunk fat (PTF, p=0.041, R 2 = 0.427). Conclusion Daily steps exhibits a beneficial association with lipid and body fat metabolism in PCOS patients without obesity, making it a viable indicator for quantifying physical activity that can be incorporated into PCOS patient management.

Source: Frontiers in Endocrinology

DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1744228

Authors: Tianmei Wang, LiJuan Zhang, Liya Ma, Xiaodong Luo, Cong Li

Institutions: The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Ovarian function and disorders

Subfield: Reproductive Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801