PCOS: Addressing the Root Cause

PCOS: Addressing the Root Cause

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. Typically, PCOS goes undiagnosed until cysts are seen on ultrasound. At that time, woman are often started on an oral birth control pill to “control the symptoms. With this line of treatment symptoms tend to improve, albeit temporarily for some. Unfortunately, oral birth control is not addressing the root cause of PCOS but merely symptoms. Studies suggest that 10% of pre-menopausal women have PCOS.

Symptoms of PCOS include:

- Irregular menstrual cycles

- Difficulty getting pregnant (anovulation)

- Ovarian cysts

- Acne

- Excessive unwanted hair (face, abdomen, etc.)

- Male pattern hair thinning in severe cases

- Obesity (not all women with PCOS are obese)

Proper treatment of PCOS should be aimed at correcting the root cause, hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels in the blood stream). Chronically high insulin leads to an increase in testosterone and estrogen which in excess lead to the symptoms of PCOS. Oral birth control suppresses the production of these sex hormones thus alleviating some symptoms, but the insulin dysfunction still looms.

PCOS symptoms vary from woman to woman, making diagnosis challenging. Not only does the clinical presentation vary but also the severity of symptoms experienced vary. Those women who are unfortunately fortunate to suffer from mild to moderate symptoms un-diagnosed and un-treated. When left untreated women with PCOS have four times higher risk of developing breast and endometrial cancer. Those with PCOS have increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Identification and proper treatment of PCOS is crucial for vitality and longevity.

Jancin B. Hyperinsulinemia, Not Ovaries, at Core of PCOS. Family Practice News. 2001 Jan 15:26

Hunter MH, Sterrett J. Polycystic ovary syndrome: It’s not just infertility. American Family Physician. 2000 Sept 1;62(5):1079-1087