Women with PCOS are at an increased risk of developing health problems including:

 

·         Insulin resistance

·         Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)

·         Gestational Diabetes (GDM)

·         Type 2 Diabetes

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         Metabolic syndrome

·         Sleep apnoea

·         Endometrial cancer

 

Many women have a family history of PCOS, IGT and/or type 2 diabetes.

 

Insulin resistance is an insensitivity of the body to insulin.  This results in hyperinsulinaemia, which if untreated will often develop into IGT, leading on to type 2 diabetes. 

 

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is diabetes which occurs during pregnancy due to hormone levels increasing insulin resistance.  Women with GDM have a much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

 

An increased risk of cardiovascular disease is linked to insulin resistance which increases blood pressure, blood fats and the tendency of the blood to clot.  These factors unfortunately increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

The metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X or the insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of symptoms (including raised blood glucose levels, blood fats, blood pressure and carrying weight around the middle) which occur together and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

 

Sleep apnoea is a condition where breathing is disrupted during sleep due to blockages to the windpipe – symptoms include snoring and stopping breathing for short periods while asleep. Sleep apnoea can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and raised blood pressure and is generally linked with carrying extra weight.

 

Endometrial cancer is linked to anovulation and the resulting low levels of progesterone which can lead to an overgrowth of the endometrium. However women with PCOS who have regular menstural cycles do not appear to be at increased risk.

 

Women with PCOS are at an increased risk of developing health problems including:

 

·         Insulin resistance

·         Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)

·         Gestational Diabetes (GDM)

·         Type 2 Diabetes

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         Metabolic syndrome

·         Sleep apnoea

·         Endometrial cancer

 

Many women have a family history of PCOS, IGT and/or type 2 diabetes.

 

Insulin resistance is an insensitivity of the body to insulin.  This results in hyperinsulinaemia, which if untreated will often develop into IGT, leading on to type 2 diabetes. 

 

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is diabetes which occurs during pregnancy due to hormone levels increasing insulin resistance.  Women with GDM have a much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

 

An increased risk of cardiovascular disease is linked to insulin resistance which increases blood pressure, blood fats and the tendency of the blood to clot.  These factors unfortunately increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

The metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X or the insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of symptoms (including raised blood glucose levels, blood fats, blood pressure and carrying weight around the middle) which occur together and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

 

Sleep apnoea is a condition where breathing is disrupted during sleep due to blockages to the windpipe – symptoms include snoring and stopping breathing for short periods while asleep. Sleep apnoea can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and raised blood pressure and is generally linked with carrying extra weight.

 

Endometrial cancer is linked to anovulation and the resulting low levels of progesterone which can lead to an overgrowth of the endometrium. However women with PCOS who have regular menstural cycles do not appear to be at increased risk.