PCOS

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)


  A condition that can affect your periods, fertility, hormones and aspects of your appearance. It can also affect your long-term health.
• Estimates of how many women PCOS affects vary widely from 2 to 26 in every 100 women
• Polycystic ovaries


  • Slightly larger than normal ovaries and have twice the number of follicles (fluid-filled spaces within the ovary that release the eggs when you ovulate)
• Having polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound does not necessarily mean you have PCOS
• Women with PCOS have symptoms as well as polycystic ovaries
• Symptoms of PCOS


  • Irregular periods or no periods at all
  • Increase in facial or body hair (hirsutism)
  • Loss of hair on your head
  • Being overweight, experiencing a rapid increase in weight or having difficulty losing weight
  • Oily skin, acne
  • Difficulty becoming pregnant (reduced fertility)
  • Depression and psychological problems
• The symptoms of PCOS vary from woman to woman
• PCOS is a cause of fertility problems in women
• You may still become pregnant even if you do not have periods
• Cause of PCOS


  Not yet known but it sometimes runs in families
• Abnormal hormone levels in PCOS

  • Slightly higher than normal levels of testosterone
  • Insulin resistance leading to higher levels of insulin
• Diagnosis of PCOS


  Having any two of: irregular, infrequent periods or no periods at all; an increase in facial or body hair and/or blood tests that show higher testosterone levels than normal; an ultrasound scan that shows polycystic ovaries
• If your blood glucose does not stay normal


  Can lead to diabetes
• One or two in every ten women with PCOS go on to develop diabetes at some point
• Factors that further increase risk of diabetes if you have PCOS

  • Being over 40 years of age
  • Having relatives with diabetes
  • Developed diabetes during a pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
  • Being obese (BMI over 30)
• Women with PCOS tend to have high blood pressure, which is likely to be related to insulin resistance and to being overweight rather than to the PCOS itself
• If you have fewer than three periods a year, the lining of the womb (endometrium) can thicken and this may lead to endometrial cancer in a small number of women
• PCOS does not increase your chance of breast or ovarian cancer
• The symptoms of PCOS may affect how you see yourself and how you think others see you, and can lower your self-esteem
• PCOS can lead to fatigue or sleepiness during the day and is also associated with snoring
• Ways to reduce long-term health risks of PCOS

  1. Eat a healthy balanced diet

  2. Eat meals regularly, especially breakfast

  3. Take exercise regularly (30 minutes at least three times a week)

  4. Aim to keep your weight to a level that is normal (BMI between 19 and 25)
• There is no strong evidence that PCOS by itself can cause you to gain weight or makes losing weight difficult
• Regular health checks for those with PCOS

  1. Check for diabetes every 1-3 years depending on risk factors

  2. Check for cancer of the uterus by having a period every 3-4 months

  3. Check blood pressure and cholesterol levels

  4. Check for depression and psychological problems
• There is no cure for PCOS
• Medical treatments aim to manage and reduce the symptoms or consequences of having PCOS
• Medication alone has not been shown to be any better than healthy lifestyle changes (weight loss and exercise)
• Many women with PCOS successfully manage their symptoms and long-term health risks without medical intervention by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle