Apple, Harvard research highlights relationship between PCOS, heart health and diseases

New research from Apple and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health sheds light on the connection between polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), heart disease and menstrual cycles. Preliminary data from Apple's and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Women’s Health Study found women with PCOS are more likely to have a family history of the condition and are more likely to have a number of diseases, including Type 2 diabetes. "Despite the association between PCOS and heart-related conditions, historically, research studies about heart health have not included information about menstrual cycles," Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in a statement. Apple and Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health are looking to use the Women's Health Study to collect more data on the condition. "Moving forward from this preliminary analysis, we hope to create a larger foundational data set on PCOS, with self-tracked variables, and its connection with heart health, which can contribute to understanding the condition, developing treatments and inspiring new areas of research across women’s health," Mahalingaiah said.