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Christine Greves
Polycystic ovary syndrome affects 2.2% to 26.7% of women aged 15 to 44, but up to 70% of them have not been diagnosed, according to Health Line.
September is designated as PCOS Awareness Month. To commemorate the occasion, Internal medicine of health spoke with Christine Carlan Greves, MD, Orlando Health, on the causes, symptoms, risk factors and treatments of the disease.
Causes and symptoms of PCOS
"The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it is due to the fact that there is an excess of androgens and insulin resistance," Greves said. Internal medicine of health.
PCOS can present in different ways; However, health care providers should be aware of certain clinical features that may indicate that the condition is a potential diagnosis, she said. Signs and symptoms of PCOS include menstrual irregularity, infertility, polycystic ovaries, excess of androgens, acanthosis nigricans and obesity, according to Greves.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects 2.2% to 26.7% of women aged 15 to 44, but up to 70% of them have not been diagnosed.
Source: Adobe Stock
"A patient does not need to have polycystic ovaries for diagnosis, but if found on ultrasound, this may help support the possibility of diagnosis," she said. declared.
About 70% of women with PCOS have acne and hirsutism in the face, abdomen, upper thighs and / or chest, she added. In addition, 30% to 75% of patients with PCOS suffer from obesity, she added.
Greves noted that patients with certain conditions, including obesity and / or insulin resistance, gestational diabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or epilepsy, have an increased risk of PCOS.
Women who have a first-degree relative with PCOS are also at higher risk, she said.
Prevention and treatment of PCOS
"The easiest recommendation for patients to prevent PCOS is to adopt a healthy lifestyle," Greves said. "However, giving this recommendation and being able to implement these recommendations is not that easy."
Physicians should advise patients at risk of regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, and not smoking.
"First, evaluate the patient's goals and aim to treat the symptoms and signs individually," Greves advised.
The use of combined oral contraceptives can help control acne and hirsutism, she added. Spironolactone can be added if the patient does not respond well to combined oral contraceptives.
According to Greves, combined oral contraceptives can also alleviate heavy and irregular periods or the absence of menstruation. If a patient has contraindications to estrogen, pills containing only progesterone may be prescribed.
"Ovulatory cycles can eventually be restored with weight loss," she said. "If a patient is not overweight, refer him to an OB-GYN for further help with, possibly, induction of ovulation with letrozole or clomiphene citrate. "
Patients with PCOS should be protected against the development of endometrial hyperplasia, which could eventually lead to uterine cancer if it is not recognized. – by Alaina Tedesco
Disclosure:
Greves does not report any relevant financial information.
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