PCOS Treatment

Metabolic Syndrome is a medical term for a group of risk factors namely high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat. The symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome would be any three or more of these risk factors together. 

To be diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome you need to present with three or more of the following characteristics (this also includes if you are taking medication to manage any one of these characteristics): 

Abdominal Obesity 

High Triglyceride Level 

Low HDL Cholesterol Level 

High Blood Pressure 

High Fasting Blood Sugar 

When a person has Metabolic Syndrome, it can be an overall indication of an unhealthy lifestyle which can be caused by: 

Obesity 

An inactive lifestyle 

Insulin resistance 

Age – your risk goes up as you get older 

Genetics – ethnicity and family history 

Insulin Resistance is characterised by abnormal high levels of the hormone Insulin found in the blood. The cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to Insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. To compensate for this your pancreas makes more Insulin and eventually your blood sugar levels will rise. 

Under normal circumstances Insulin rises briefly after eating a meal as the body’s response to Glucose Metabolism. The liver and muscles are stimulated to take up sugar from the blood and convert it to energy. That will then cause blood sugar levels and blood Insulin levels to decrease. With normal insulin sensitivity, both sugar and Insulin levels will appear normal on a fasting blood Glucose Test.  

When someone has Insulin Resistance, their blood sugar levels may be normal, but their blood Insulin levels are high. The pancreas oversecretes Insulin to try and get its message through to the cells of the body to function. Too much Insulin generates inflammation and causes weight gain which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease.  

Excess Insulin is also an underlying physiological driver of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). 

You will not be able to tell that you have Insulin Resistance by the way you feel. You’ll need to get a blood test that checks your blood sugar and Insulin levels. 

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women during their reproductive years and the single most common cause of infertility in women. The main features of PCOS include hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction and polycystic ovarian morphology. 

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seems to be a collection of unrelated symptoms affecting your menstrual cycle, fertility, appearance, and weight. Unlike many disorders, you are able to improve PCOS by implementing the correct measures to manage the causes. Recognizing the symptoms of PCOS early and working on improving insulin resistance through diet and exercise can help prevent complications of PCOS, including infertility. 

PCOS is described as a syndrome rather than a disease because it shows up as a group of signs and symptoms that can occur in any combination. 

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes PCOS. They believe that high levels of male hormones prevent the ovaries from producing hormones and making eggs normally. 

Genes, insulin resistance, and inflammation have all been linked to excess androgen production. 

No, Insulin Resistance and Diabetes are not the same. When you have Insulin Resistance, your pancreas needs to make extra Insulin. For a while, this will work, and your blood sugar levels will stay normal. Over time, your pancreas won’t be able to keep up. If you don’t make changes in the way you eat and exercise, your blood sugar levels will rise until you have prediabetes. If you can’t manage prediabetes, you could be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes later. 

Insulin Resistance is characterised by abnormally high levels of Insulin found in the blood.  

Under normal circumstances Insulin rises briefly after eating a meal as the body’s response to Glucose Metabolism. The liver and muscles are stimulated to take up sugar from the blood and convert it to energy. That will then cause blood sugar levels and blood Insulin levels to decrease. With normal insulin sensitivity, both sugar and Insulin levels will appear normal on a fasting blood Glucose Test.  

When someone has Insulin Resistance, their blood sugar levels may be normal, but their blood Insulin levels are high. The pancreas oversecretes Insulin to try get its message through to the cells of the body to function. Too much Insulin generates inflammation and causes weight gain which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease.  

You will not be able to tell that you have Insulin Resistance by the way you feel. You’ll need to get a blood test that checks your blood sugar and Insulin levels. 

Some signs of Insulin Resistance include: 

• A waistline over 101.6 cm in men and 88.9 cm in women 

• Blood pressure readings of 130/80 or higher 
• A fasting glucose level over 100 mg/dL 
• A fasting triglyceride level over 150 mg/dL 
• An HDL cholesterol level under 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women