Women suffering from PCOS are highly prone to diabetes

Women suffering from Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition in which a woman's levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are out of balance, are highly prone to diabetes, found researchers at AIIMS.
Doctors who monitored the patients during the Out Patient Department (OPD) sessions over the time, have found out that insulin resistance' is an integral part of PCOS and that women with the syndrome are at a higher risk for diabetes than the general population.
"Insulin resistance has been recognized as a risk factor for diabetes. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively. When people have insulin resistance, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells, leading to type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes," said Md Ashraf Ganie, a senior endocrinology consultant and assistant professor at AIIMS.

He said that early diagnosis and treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems which also include heart related diseases.
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Symptoms are irregular menstrual periods, irregular ovulation, hirutism, weight gain, hair loss and oily skin or acne.
India currently reports 10 per cent of the world's PCOS cases.
According to Dr Nutan Agarwal, gynaecologist at AIIMS, lot of women who have PCOS are not aware of the symptoms and hence, also unaware of the fact they are prone to diabetes.
"Many women with PCOS have several small cysts in their ovaries. These cysts are not harmful but can lead to hormonal imbalances. They are highly prone to diabetes," Ganie said.