Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 |
Q: "Does polycystic ovary disease cause diabetes?"
A: That is an interesting question to which researches are still seeking the answer.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (referred to as PCOS and also known as Stein Leventhal Syndrome) is a hormone imbalance that causes multiple cysts to develop on the ovaries. Women with this syndrome produce more testosterone, and often less estrogen than normal. Symptoms can include irregular and painful periods, weight gain, acne, excess body hair, and infertility, or there can be no symptoms at all.
Cause:
- The exact cause of the hormone balance is unclear, although it is believed to have a genetic component that is influenced by environmental factors such as diet and exercise. While it has not been determined that PCOS causes diabetes, it has been speculated that insulin resistance may contribute to PCOS. It is felt that women who are overweight and who have PCOS are at increased risk for diabetes, as well as lipid problems and heart disease. There are several statistics that relate PCOS, insulin resistance, and diabetes:
- It is estimated that 5-10% of women of childbearing age have PCOS.
- Of interest is that 50-70% of women with PCOS also have insulin resistance.
- Insulin resistance is worsened by obesity, and more than 40% of women with PCOS are obese.
- Furthermore, an estimated 30% of women with PCOS have pre-diabetes, and over 7% have diabetes.
- UP to 27% of premenopausal women with type 2 diabetes also have PCOS-which shows the effect of insulin resistance on PCOS, but also illustrates that insulin resistance itself does not lead to PCOS in most women with type 2 diabetes.
Treatment:
Reducing the insulin resistance has been shown to improve the PCOS-so often weight loss and exercise have had a significant impact on this condition. In addition, Metformin (also called Glucophage®) and the TZDs have been given to women with PCOS, even if they don't have diabetes, because these drugs decrease insulin resistance. Other medications, such as hormones, are used as well.
Studies Continue:
Studies are ongoing to better understand the relationship of insulin resistance to PCOS, as well as the most effective treatment for this condition.
Related Questions
Thiazolidinediones (TZDs)
Q:
"How do Actos® and Avandia® work?"
Insulin Resistance
Q:
"Could you explain insulin resistance so that I can understand it? This
term seems confusing to me."
Related Links
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
http://www.diabetes.org
Aetna InteliHealth Inc.
http://www.intelihealth.com
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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