Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Can Lead to Diabetes.

    It is a complex hormonal disorder that affects 10-18% of women aged 16-45, resulting in various hormonal outcomes.

    Its most prominent clinical features include menstrual irregularities, skin problems such as excessive hair growth and acne due to excess androgen (male hormone), and tiny cysts in the ovaries.

    Although its exact cause remains unresolved, environmental and genetic factors are believed to play a role. The most significant clinical and laboratory finding in all research is insulin resistance.

    Due to insulin resistance, these patients can gain weight very quickly. As a result, insulin resistance worsens and the patient's clinical symptoms deteriorate further. In PCOS patients, especially abdominal obesity (visceral fat) is much more pronounced. Visceral fat accumulation is one of the most important risk factors for insulin resistance. As a result, tissue glucose utilization, or sugar use, becomes difficult. If left untreated, this can lead to increased weight gain over the years and an increased risk of developing diabetes.

"Frequency of Type 2 Diabetes is Increased in PCOS Patients"

    From the moment PCOS is diagnosed, the frequency of diabetes is significantly increased compared to women of the same age group. Especially in those with increased waist circumference, at older ages, and those with a family history of diabetes, this risk becomes even more pronounced. In PCOS women, the onset of diabetes can occur 4-6 years earlier than in the control group. Impaired glucose tolerance, reactive hypoglycemia, and other glucose metabolism disorders can be seen in 30% of PCOS patients at the time of diagnosis. At the time of diagnosis, diabetes can be detected in 8-10% of PCOS patients.

    As they reach the ages of 40-50, PCOS patients are 6-7 times more likely to develop diabetes than other women in the same age group. Therefore, PCOS disease is a very high-risk group for diabetes and requires close monitoring.

    It is very important for PCOS patients to undergo a 75-gram glucose screening test for diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance at the time of diagnosis and follow-up testing for early diagnosis and treatment.

Can Diabetes Development be Prevented in PCOS Patients?

    The main problem is insulin resistance and visceral fat accumulation, so these patients should be prevented from gaining weight. Especially regular exercise and carbohydrate-poor nutrition are the main treatment methods for maintaining ideal weight. Maintaining weight close to the ideal weight can minimize many metabolic problems. Metformin therapy may be used in those with glucose metabolism disorders. However, since PCOS is a complex disease with many hormonal changes, diagnosis and follow-up of this disease should be performed by experienced endocrinologists, and it is more accurate to apply the drug treatments recommended by your doctor.