PCOS Review Newsletter #28
Natural Health Ideas for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
A free monthly newsletter for women with ovarian cysts or PCOS.
Issue #028 December 7, 2005 Bill Slater, Research Associate
3) Quality of Life of PCOS Women
1) PCOS Is a Family Affair.
If you have polycystic ovary syndrome, you may already know that you have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But did you know that if you have PCOS, your immediate family is also at increased risk?
This disturbing finding has been verified by a number of medical studies. Most recently, a study from Kirikkale University in Turkey showed that 40% of mothers and 52% of fathers of PCOS women had some degree of glucose intolerance. Glucose intolerance is simply the inability to properly metabolize blood sugar (glucose). Advanced glucose intolerance results in diabetes. Parents of PCOS women higher levels of insulin resistance than parents of non-PCOS women.
A previous study showed that parents of PCOS women had a higher incidence of insulin resistance and diabetes.
Another study, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, evaluated the sisters of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. These sisters were more obese and had more indications of insulin resistance than sisters of non-PCOS women.
We recommend that you communicate with your parents and siblings about reducing everyone's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The best way for the whole family to reduce risk is to eat a much healthier diet, exercise more, and reduce chronic stress. Family members should support each other in their efforts to get healthier and avoid the disability and heartache of chronic disease.
Sources:
Yilmaz, M et al, Glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and
cardiovascular risk factors in first degree relatives of women
with polycystic ovary syndrome, Hum Reprod. 2005
Sep;20(9):2414-20
Legro, RS et al, Insulin resistance in the sisters of women
with polycystic ovary syndrome: association with
hyperandrogenemia rather than menstrual irregularity, J Clin
Endocrinol Metab. 2002 May;87(5):2128-33
Sir-Petermann, T et al, Prevalence of Type II diabetes mellitus and
insulin resistance in parents of women with polycystic ovary
syndrome, Diabetologia. 2002 Jul;45(7):959-64
Sam, S et al, Dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome in the
sisters of women with polycystic ovary syndrome, J Clin
Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Aug;90(8):4797-802
2) Inflammation and PCOS.
Chronic inflammation plays an under-recognized but very important role in the progression of polycystic ovary syndrome, especially the symptom of weight gain.
Fat cells are not inert. They are metabolically active and produce a variety of inflammatory biological factors that lead to a condition called "leptin resistance".
Leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells. It is involved in long-term weight and appetite regulation. It tells the hypothalamus gland in your brain when fat cells are full. Leptin resistance means that the leptin cannot properly perform its control function over your weight.
We have an extensive discussion of this issue at our website:
Inflammation,
PCOS and Your Weight, and
Weight
Loss and PCOS.
If you're wondering what to do, see our recommendations.
3) Quality of Life of PCOS Women.
It's easy for others to overlook how you feel about having the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome. However, the unhappiness that accompanies this condition is present nonetheless. The seriousness of the emotional aspect of PCOS was borne out by a study just released from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
In this study, PCOS women showed significant reductions in quality-of-life, increased psychological disturbances, and decreased sexual satisfaction when compared with healthy controls. Fatness and hirsutism, but not acne, were associated with physical aspects of quality-of-life and sexual satisfaction.
Excessive androgens (male hormones), insulin resistance, menstrual cycle disturbances and infertility had little or no impact on psychological well-being.
In other words, the most psychologically painful part of polycystic ovary syndrome is being overweight and being too hairy. Emotional distress about your appearance is a factor that needs to be recognized by health care practitioners, friends and family members.
We recommend that you find a health care practitioner who understands and can help you with the emotional aspects of this disorder. We also recommend that you join or form a support group with other PCOS women. You don't need to be alone! Find professionals, friends and other women who will support you in your quest for better health.
Source: Hahn, S et al, Clinical and psychological correlates of quality-of-life in polycystic ovary syndrome, Eur J Endocrinol. 2005 Dec;153(6):853-60
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