Women with PCOS typically experience a range of unwanted health issues, including irregular periods, weight gain, excessive hair growth, acne, and trouble conceiving. The problem is a common one, affecting an estimated 5-10% of all women of childbearing age. As with many health issues, understanding the causes behind polycystic ovary syndrome can help you better manage it, and inspire you to make lifestyle changes that can lower your risk. Unfortunately, the causes of this syndrome are not 100% understood, so getting to the bottom of what caused your PCOS can be a challenge.
What causes PCOS symptoms?
The majority of women with PCOS can trace their symptoms to abnormally high levels of androgens being produced by their bodies. Androgens are often referred to as "male hormones", but it is normal for a woman's ovaries to produce these hormones at low levels. Hormones in the androgen family, such as testosterone, are responsible for the maintenance of sex characteristics associated with men – not only their sperm production, but also their body hair, muscle mass, and deep voices.
This is why many women with PCOS experience unwanted facial hair, acne, dandruff and weight gain. Additionally, when a woman's ovaries produce more androgens than they should, it can interfere with egg production and lead to a failure to ovulate properly. Thus, too much androgen may explain what causes your PCOS symptoms, but what causes this pesky hormone imbalance in the first place?
Genetic causes behind PCOS-associated hormone imbalance
The simple answer is that the causes of PCOS are not fully understood yet, but there are important clues to help explain why some women but not others develop PCOS. There is evidence that certain genes may play a role in your PCOS risk. Researchers first noticed that women who have a mother or sister with PCOS are more likely to develop PCOS than those who did not. Since then, a number of genetic factors have been reported to contribute to PCOS.
Problems in genes such as CYP19, SHBG, FST, INS, INSR, CAPN10, and PAI-1 have all been found to be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome. It is likely that some women with PCOS have a defect in one gene (say CYP19) while others have a defect in a different gene (say PAI-1), but the result is the same in both cases--a hormone imbalance that leads to the development of PCOS. Because there are so many different genes possibly involved in causing the hormone imbalance, it's difficult for medical researchers to determine exactly which genes may be to blame. That said, there is not much you can do about what genes you inherit. However, there are some causes of PCOS over which you do have some control.
Which causes of PCOS can I control?
Many researchers also think that insulin may play a role in causing or aggravating PCOS. Insulin is a hormone you may be familiar with--it helps change the sugar you eat into energy that your body can use. Many women with PCOS have too much insulin in their bodies, which can lead to excess androgen production. Therefore, one important way to reduce your PCOS risk, or manage the syndrome once you have it, is to watch how much sugar you consume. Limit processed foods with refined sugar and replace junk food with healthier fare.
Another lifestyle change that can have a big impact is maintaining a healthy weight. It's common for women with PCOS to be overweight, and because fat cells actually produce hormones, losing weight can go a long way in restoring normal hormone balance. A ten-percent reduction in body weight has been shown to restore normal periods in some women with PCOS, making getting healthy a worthwhile venture for women living with polycystic ovary syndrome. As is the case with so many health issues, a healthy diet and regular exercise can go a long way to combat the unwanted symptoms of PCOS.
For further information and sources for this article, visit:
The Federal Government source for Women's Health Information: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm#c
Genetics of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, by Karkanaki et al: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776334/pdf/hippokratia-13-216.pdf
Jacqueline Roll - I have worked as a scientist in the field of cancer research since 2004 and received my Ph.D. in pathology from the University of North ...
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