According to recent study presented at the 2022 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress & Expo and discussed in an article at Healio, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were shown to be at increased risk for acquiring type 2 diabetes during a 30-year period.

What is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?



PCOS is one of the most frequent reasons of female infertility, affecting 6% to 12% (up to 5 million) of US women of reproductive age. But it is much more than that. This chronic health problem lasts much beyond childbearing years.

Women with PCOS are frequently insulin resistant; their bodies may produce insulin but cannot efficiently utilise it, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes. They also have greater amounts of androgens (male hormones that females also have), which can prevent eggs from being released (ovulation) and cause irregular periods, acne, thinning scalp hair, and increased hair growth on the face and body.


What Factors Contribute to PCOS?

The precise causes are unknown at this time, however androgen levels that are greater than usual play a role. Excess weight and family history, both of which are linked to insulin resistance, can also play a role.

Weight…

Is obesity a cause of PCOS? Is PCOS a cause of obesity? The connection is intricate and poorly understood. Being overweight is connected with PCOS, however many normal-weight women have it, whereas many overweight women do not.

Insulin Deficiency

A woman's lifestyle can have a significant influence on insulin resistance, especially if she is overweight due to a poor diet and a lack of physical exercise. Insulin resistance is also inherited. Losing weight can typically help alleviate symptoms, regardless of what triggered the insulin resistance.


What study says:

The current study examined data from 1,112 women in the United States who took part in a study called Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA). They entered in the research between the ages of 18 and 32 in 1985 and 1986 and were monitored for 30 years. Participants were diagnosed with PCOS if they satisfied specific criteria two years into the trial, as well as additional symptoms (infrequent menstrual cycles and abnormal hair growth) 16 years afterwards.

Data on whether participants had diabetes, high blood pressure, or abnormal blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels were obtained five, seven, ten, sixteen, twenty-five, and thirty years after the study began.


A link between PCOS and type 2 diabetes has been discovered.

Among all individuals, 81 were determined to have PCOS, whereas 1,031 did not. During the whole trial period, 3.7% of patients with PCOS suffered a cardiovascular event (such as a heart attack or stroke), compared to 6.4% of those without PCOS. High blood pressure was detected in 43.2% of people with PCOS and 41.2% of participants without PCOS, while abnormal blood lipids were found in 43.2% of participants with PCOS and 34.7% of participants without PCOS. Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in 33.3% of people with PCOS and 22.1% of persons without PCOS.

After controlling for known risk factors for cardiovascular events, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids, and type 2 diabetes, the researchers discovered that participants with PCOS were 2.07 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Following this modification, no significant links were found between PCOS and any of the other health conditions.


Conclusion

The researchers did discover, however, that patients with PCOS were more likely than non-PCOS participants to acquire type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood lipids sooner in the study period — even though their total risk was solely for type 2 diabetes. PCOS participants were not shown to be more likely to experience a cardiovascular incident early in the research period.

Consult your doctor if you have irregular monthly periods, difficulty becoming pregnant, or excessive acne or hair growth. If you're diagnosed with PCOS, inquire about getting tested for type 2 diabetes and how to manage the illness if you do. Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as losing weight if you're overweight and increasing physical activity, can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, help you manage your diabetes better, and prevent or delay other health problems.

There are also medications that can help you ovulate while also decreasing acne and hair growth. Make sure to discuss all of your treatment options with your doctor.