Understanding PCOS: Risks and Changes Over the Ages 

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) impacts approximately 10% of females and is a lifelong condition.^[1] It can be diagnosed in adolescence but often goes unrecognized for some time with the mean age of cases around 27 years of age.^[2] Despite being an endocrine condition, it is associated with a host of other risks and comorbidities. 

Correlated Conditions 

Patients with PCOS often struggle with additional conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.^[2] All these conditions can increase individuals’ risk of developing PCOS. Therefore it is important to target preventing excessive weight gain and insulin resistance early in life to reduce the risk.^[2]Insulin resistance in particular is highly prevalent and experienced by 50-95% of general and obese PCOS women.^[3] 

Due to the correlation with weight gain and metabolic conditions, there is a need to better understand how disordered eating may be related to PCOS. In a study of 46 PCOS patients and 56 controls, binge eating symptoms were found to be more prevalent in the PCOS group.^[4] Symptoms including uncontrolled, emotional, and binge eating were observed as positively correlated, highlighting the need to further investigate this association to reduce PCOS risk and associated comorbidities. 

Changes Over the Years 

In addition to the concerns highlighted above, PCOS is also associated with other eating disorders and body image concerns. PCOS is associated with risks of infertility and sleep issues as well.^[1] Since this is a lifelong condition, concerns tend to change over the course of time depending on the individual’s age. Younger patients tend to be more concerned over increased risks of dermatological issues like acne, irregular periods, and body image. As they age into the family planning stage of life, fertility troubles and the development of cardiac diseases become more relevant and important.^[1] 

It is important to not only be aware of the symptoms of PCOS to help with early diagnosis but also to better understand how this chronic condition affects all aspects of life. With the right approach, including healthier lifestyle changes and seeking medical help where need be, PCOS can be a well-managed disease that does not have to negatively impact women’s overall health and well-being. 

References 

[1] Simon, S. L., Phimphasone-Brady, P., McKenney, K. M., Gulley, L. D., Bonny, A. E., Moore, J. M., Torres-Zegarra, C., & Cree, M. G. (2024). Comprehensive transition of care for polycystic ovary syndrome from adolescence to adulthood. The Lancet. Child & adolescent health, S2352-4642(24)00019-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00019-1

[2] Christ, J. P., Yu, O., Barton, B., Schulze-Rath, R., Grafton, J., Cronkite, D., Covey, J., Kelley, A., Holden, E., Hilpert, J., Sacher, F., Micks, E., & Reed, S. D. (2024). Risk Factors for Incident Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Diagnosis. Journal of women’s health (2002), 10.1089/jwh.2023.0741. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2023.0741 

[3] Dubey, P., Reddy, S., Sharma, K., Johnson, S., Hardy, G., & Dwivedi, A. K. (2024). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, and Cardiovascular Disease. Current cardiology reports, 10.1007/s11886-024-02050-5. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-024-02050-5 

[4] Pehlivanturk-Kizilkan, M., Akgül, S., Güven, A. G., Düzçeker, Y., Derman, O., & Kanbur, N. (2024). Binge eating symptomatology in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome. Physiology & behavior, 279, 114532. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114532