Margo S. Hudson, MD, Co-director, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Program in the Fish Center for Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital describes causes, symptoms and treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome.
You polycystic ovary syndrome is a constellation of symptoms rather than a specific disease and the cause or causes are not completely understood interestingly the ovaries may develop cysts but that is not necessary for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome many patients who have polycystic ovary syndrome or pcos are overweight or obese and it is one of the
Most common hormonal problems in young women in a normal menstrual cycle the brain makes the hormone gnrh which is released into a special circulation going to the pituitary gland the pituitary gland then releases two hormones fsh and lh which travel in the bloodstream to the ovary causing the ovary to produce an egg the egg will then travel to the uterus and if
Fertilized will stay in the uterus but if not fertilized it will be shed and the woman will have a normal menstrual period we think one of the primary abnormalities in pcos is the abnormal release of the gnrh so instead of being released in regular cyclic manner it is released rapidly throughout the day this disrupts the release of the lh and fsh in a way that lh
Is increase but fsh is decreased into the peripheral circulation in response to this the ovary makes more male hormone testosterone or androgens and ovulation is inhibited women with pcos may notice a constellation of symptoms the most common are unpredictable in irregular periods acting is also common as well as the development of coarse hair on many body parts
Depression and mood disorders are also extremely common in patients with pcos many of the symptoms of pcos may not be noticed by the patient in particular blood sugar may increase because of the insulin resistance and this can lead to a condition called pre-diabetes or even diabetes blood pressure can also increase and the patient made women may develop a high
Blood pressure women may develop high cholesterol levels and sleep apnea also women with pcos are at risk for cancers such as uterine cancer the risk for some of these serious medical problems have just been quantified in a recent study women who were diagnosed with pcos compared to women of the same age without pcos had three times the risk of diabetes stroke and
Heart disease twice the risk of anxiety depression and drug use and also twice the risk of hospitalization for any cause women with pcos were also found to have ten times the risk of infertility a healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome this includes maintaining a healthy weight getting plenty of exercise and sleep and for
Women who smoke making all efforts to discontinue smoking there are also medical treatments available for polycystic ovary syndrome birth control pills will help cause regular periods and will also help lower testosterone levels a medication called metformin will help lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity sproule a lactone is available to help with
Excess hair growth and it’s prolactin is not adequate for excess hair growth laser therapy will remove unwanted hair nutrition education will help reduce excess weight and psychological support can help reduce stress because of the high risk for infertility one question that women will often have is will i be able to get pregnant there are medications available
To help correct the ovarian dysfunction and lead to a normal pregnancy because some of these medications may lead to multiple births they should be given by a specialist under close supervision and once pregnant a woman with pcos should be closely monitored for the risk of diabetes in pregnancy or gestational diabetes we offer a unique organizational structure
To ensure coordination of care through our pcos program coordinator and we offer a full range of services including access to gynecology dermatology nutrition and weight management metabolic and diabetes needs mental health referrals and if necessary we can refer for reproductive assistance you
Transcribed from video
Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Video – Brigham and Women’s Hospital By Brigham And Women’s Hospital