A 31-year-old woman with PCOS is found to have high blood pressure during her routine check-up. She is not currently on any medication. What could be the next steps?
Women with PCOS are at a higher risk for hypertension due to associated obesity and insulin resistance. The first step in managing her high blood pressure would be lifestyle modifications, including a healthy diet (like the DASH diet), regular exercise, weight loss if she's overweight, limitation of alcohol, and cessation of smoking if applicable. If her blood pressure remains high despite these changes, she may require antihypertensive medication.