It has been long believed PCOS is primarily a disorder of the female reproductive endocrine system. However, other research has found that male first-degree relatives of women with PCOS also have higher rates of cardiometabolic disease, suggesting that the underlying genetics can be shared between men and women.
And while PCOS doesn't have a clear hereditary pattern, per the Genetics Home Reference, there does seem to be some sort of family association—an estimated 20%–40% of those with PCOS have an affected family member, usually a mother or sister.
However, since the incidence is increasing, potentially due to an environmental component in the form of endocrine disruptors, it's not unusual for a patient to have no significant family history. It's also likely that family members may have not known they had the condition or not disclosed it.
In some cases, PCOS is genetic. If your mother or sister has PCOS, then you have a greater chance (roughly 30 to 40 percent) of developing it.
Women whose mother or sister has PCOS or type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop PCOS. Lifestyle can have a big impact on insulin resistance, especially if a woman is overweight because of an unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. Insulin resistance also runs in families.
Although the specific genes that cause PCOS are unknown, some genetic differences may increase the risk of developing PCOS. In many girls, PCOS also seems to be related to being insulin resistant, which means that a girl's body must make extra insulin to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range.
The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. There's evidence that genetics play a role. Several other factors, most importantly obesity, also play a role in causing PCOS: Higher levels of male hormones called androgens: High androgen levels prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs, which causes irregular menstrual cycles.
Results: No significant difference in sex ratio was detected between PCOS and controls, even if it resulted significantly different in the full-blown and non-PCO phenotypes.
Researchers have found evidence that chronic disease in either a mother or father can create unfavourable conditions in the womb that are associated with the development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in daughters.
Having PCOS does not mean you can't get pregnant. PCOS is one of the most common, but treatable, causes of infertility in women. In women with PCOS, the hormonal imbalance interferes with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation). If you don't ovulate, you can't get pregnant.
PCOS was misnamed. Despite the fact that it's called poly "cystic" ovary syndrome, women with PCOS don't have cysts. Instead, they have tiny immature follicles that surround their ovaries. Having a misleading name has contributed to confusion regarding its diagnosis.
Contents. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be managed. Treatment options can vary because someone with PCOS may experience a range of symptoms, or just 1. The main treatment options are discussed in more detail below.
You can know your genetic risk for PCOS with a genetic test. A genetic test studies your genetic predispositions and recommends dietary and fitness interventions to manage or prevent it. A genetic test is done with your saliva sample - many health conditions and traits are assessed by studying your genes.
Experts estimate that 5 to 10 percent of women ages 18 to 44 have PCOS. The syndrome is usually detected in women between ages 20 and 30, but the earliest signs can be evident in younger girls including those who have not yet started menstruation.
Most often, symptoms first appear in adolescence, around the start of menstruation. However, some women do not develop symptoms until their early to mid-20's. Although PCOS presents early in life, it persists through and beyond the reproductive years.
Although it is difficult to give statistics as cases vary so much and different treatments have different success rates, most women with PCOS will be able to have a baby with fertility treatment. For women who are under 35, this is even more the case.
Some recent studies have demonstrated an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring of PCOS patients (2–5). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disease with core symptoms, including social communication disorder, narrow interests, and repetitive behaviors (6).
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinological disorders in women of reproductive age, affecting 5% to 10% of these women. Anovulatory infertility is a common consequence of PCOS, and the incidence of PCOS in women with anovulatory infertility is higher at 70% to 80%.
PCOS after pregnancy
It is important to remember that some of the symptoms of PCOS, such as hormonal imbalance and associated weight gain, can return and even worsen after pregnancy – and that being pregnant and successfully giving birth does not mean that PCOS has gone away.
Because there is a distinct degree of hyperandrogenism in PCOS, this hyperandrogenism can exert inhibitory effects on progesterone and consequently leads to increase mammary epithelial cell proliferation, breast growth, and fibrocystic breast formation [25–29].
PCOS is a lifelong condition that may lead to future long-term health risks.
You are born with PCOS, but symptoms often start during puberty although for some people this can be later, up to their early twenties. There are lots of different symptoms that can be caused by PCOS.
To receive a diagnosis of PCOS, you must meet two of the following criteria: irregular ovulation, which is usually indicated by an irregular menstrual cycle or a lack of a cycle. signs of increased androgen levels or a blood test confirming you have increased levels. multiple small cysts on the ovaries.