PCOS and insulin
August 15th, 2023 · 5 minutes read
Key points
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone condition
Insulin and androgens are the main hormones affecting women with PCOS
Androgens or male type hormones are slightly higher in women with PCOS
Hormones
PCOS is a hormonal condition. Hormones are chemical messengers that control the way things work in your body. The main two hormones are androgens (also called testosterone or male type hormones) and insulin.
Increased levels of insulin, increases the levels of androgens and, increased levels of androgens increase insulin.
Weight increases the levels of both hormones.
Androgens
Women with PCOS have slightly higher levels (hyperandrogenism) compared to females without PCOS.
Higher levels of androgens may cause
acne (may be severe)
increased body hair growth (face, stomach)
unpredictable periods (more or less frequent than monthly)
infertility due to the underdevelopment of eggs within the ovaries.
Insulin resistance
Insulin controls sugar (glucose or energy) in the body. Many women with PCOS have higher levels of insulin in their blood. This causes problems when it continues for some time and is called insulin resistance.
Cells become resistant to insulin and don’t allow it to act as a key to allow glucose into the cell. This means that both insulin and glucose stay in the blood instead of in the cells. We can’t use glucose unless it is in the cells.
Insulin resistance is very common in women with PCOS.
Insulin resistance over time can lead to higher weight and type 2 diabetes. Being active and eating well are the best ways to reduce insulin resistance.
There is no reliable simple test for insulin resistance and this occurs in 75% of lean or healthy weight women with PCOS and 95% of those with a higher weight.
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