Prediabetes, Diabetes And Insulin Resistance In Pcos
We know that women with PCOS tend to struggle with insulin resistance but not all of have insulin resistance. We also know that we are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes (in fact 40% of us will develop Type 2 Diabetes by the time we’re 40 (1)– seriously scary stuff)! Or we may be prediabetic. But what does this all mean and how are all of these things related? Even more important, how can we manage these things using a PCOS Diet? Let’s have a look at each term, what it means in general and how it applies to us. Then we’ll try and connect the dots. Insulin Resistance in PCOS The first thing to understand is that insulin resistance is closely linked with chronic inflammation (2). Now chronic inflammation is also inherent in PCOS, putting us at risk of developing insulin resistance. So, we know that we’re prone it IR as a result of our inflammation. Our cells slowly start losing their sensitivity to insulin, forcing our body to release more insulin for our cells to respond. This consistently high insulin level is called insulin resistance. A free 6 lesson course that has helped women with PCOS around the world learn how to see lasting changes in their PCOS symptoms. Ready to join? So what are the symptoms of insulin resistance? For me, my next question would be, “How do I know if I have insulin resistance?” Well the symptoms of IR include: Well, if I’m honest, I occasionally have those symptoms as a result of my PCOS, not necessarily insulin resistance. So, the only way to absolutely sure if you have insulin resistance is to consult with your doctor and have blood tests. Normally, a fasting blood test is done to measure your fasting blood sugar and insulin levels (3). Okay, so just because you may have insulin resistance, doesn’t necessarily mean you w Continue reading >>
Is Having A Dry Throat Related To Diabetes?
A dry throat can feel like someone has sandpapered the lining of your throat. Your throat might feel itchy and even sore. The dry, rough feeling may also occur in your mouth and on your tongue. There are many causes of a dry throat including being dehydrated, excessive exercise, habitually sleeping or breathing with an open mouth and an infection. If your dry throat persists no matter how much water you drink and you also seem to urinate more than usual, you may have diabetes. Diabetes UK, UK Diabetes Resource, Diabetes Symptoms, Diabetes Diet, Gestational Diabetes notes that thirst, excess urination and a dry mouth are signs of diabetes. Continue reading >>
Pcos And Hyperandrogenism In Type 1 Diabetes
Women with both type 1 diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) represent a unique population, with long term implications on fertility and diabetic complications, which need to be addressed. The studies reviewed herein address the increased incidence of PCOS in women with type 1 diabetes. The leading theories suggest that the underlying pathophysiology is related to intensive insulin therapy and resulting ovarian hyperandrogenism. We have searched the literature to determine what studies have been done to address the role of insulin resistance and insulin sensitizers for reduction of hyperandrogenism in these patients. According to the available evidence, we conclude that metformin may have a role in reducing the androgenic picture in type 1 patients with PCOS and insulin resistance. Cite this paper Tibuni-Sanders, S. and Nader, S. (2012) PCOS and hyperandrogenism in type 1 diabetes. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2, 76-80. doi: 10.4236/ojog.2012.21015. [1] Ehrmann, D. (2005) Medical progress: Polycystic ovarian syndrome. The New England Journal of Medicine, 352, 1223-1236. doi:10.1056/NEJMra041536 [2] Strotmeyer, E., Steenkiste, M.S., Foley, S. and Dorman, J. (2003) Menstrual cycle differences between women with type 1 diabetes and women without type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 26, 1016-1021. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.4.1016 [3] Adcock, C.J., Perry, L.A., Lindsell, D.R., Taylor, A.M., Holly, J.M. and Dunger, D.B. (1994) Menstrual irregularities are more common in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Association with poor glycemic control and weight gain. Diabetic Medicine, 11, 465-470. doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.1994.tb00307.x [4] Escobar-Morreale, H.F., Roldan, B., Barrio, R., Alonso, M., Sancho, J., De la Calle, H. and Garcia-Robles, R. (2000) High prevalen Continue reading >>
Pcos (polycystic Ovary Syndrome) And Diabetes
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) afflicts millions of women. It has been called a form of prediabetes, because the conditions have much in common. What can we learn from the story of polycystic ovary syndrome? What is PCOS? Polycystic ovary syndrome is a disease of hormones. Depending on how PCOS is defined, somewhere from 5% to 20% of American and European women have it. It is the most common reproductive hormone disorder of women of childbearing age and the number one cause of female infertility. PCOS is usually diagnosed when a woman has: • Very irregular or absent periods. • Elevated male sex hormones, which can lead to male pattern hair growth on face and body, along with acne and hair loss on the head. • Ovaries with large numbers of “cysts,” which are actually groups of follicles that are supposed to produce eggs. In PCOS, the eggs aren’t released and the follicles keep growing and clump into cysts. Other symptoms include skin discolorations, painful periods, depression, mood swings, lack of sex drive, and fatness around the waist. It’s a really unpleasant condition, affecting appearance, fertility, mood, and general health. It’s also linked to diabetes and heart disease. PCOS and diabetes very similar Like Type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome often starts with insulin resistance. In studies, 50% to 90% of women with PCOS are insulin resistant. According to the American Diabetes Association, insulin resistance leads the body to produce high levels of insulin, just as in early stage Type 2 diabetes. In some women, insulin stimulates the production of male hormones such as testosterone. The male hormones cause facial hair, baldness, and acne and may suppress the female hormones that produce eggs in the ovaries. Other hormones seem disturbed al Continue reading >>
Common Ovarian Cyst Condition Linked With Higher Diabetes Risk
Reuters Health - Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are four times more likely than women without the condition to develop type 2 diabetes and to be diagnosed at an earlier age, according to a large study in Denmark. Researchers followed about 80,000 women for an average of 11 years to see if higher rates of insulin resistance and obesity that tend to go along with PCOS translated to higher risk of diabetes. Women with PCOS often have small painless cysts in the ovaries as well as high levels of testosterone and other hormones that can cause irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, weight gain, acne or excess hair on the face and body. The condition is the most common hormonal disorder in women of childbearing age, affecting some 5 to 6 million women in the U.S., according to the Endocrine Society. “We confirm that the risk for diabetes is increased in PCOS - but we need more knowledge about risk factors such as weight,” study author Dr. Dorte Glintborg of Odense University Hospital told Reuters Health by email. The researchers analyzed data from the Danish National Patient Register for more than 18,000 women with PCOS along with about 1,100 women with PCOS who were patients at the Odense University Hospital. For each woman diagnosed with PCOS, researchers also selected three women born in the same year who did not have either diabetes or PCOS to form a comparison group. At the end of the follow-up period, the rate of new cases of type 2 diabetes among women with PCOS was 8 per 1,000 women per year. In comparison, 2 women per 1,000 without PCOS developed diabetes each year. Women with PCOS were diagnosis with type 2 diabetes at an average age of 31, while the average age at diagnosis without PCOS was 35, the study team reports in the Journal of C Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Risk Four Times Higher In Women With Pcos
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a widespread condition among women of reproductive age, and a new study suggests that it may also put these women at a significant risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The research was carried out by Denmark-based scientists and the findings were published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of female infertility, with up to 5 million women in the United States affected by the condition. Women with PCOS often have insulin resistance, which is a condition wherein the muscles, fat, and liver do not respond properly to the hormone, so the body keeps producing more of it. Excessive insulin production is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. But as the authors of the new research report, there are insufficient prospective population-based studies to date that have studied the connection between PCOS and type 2 diabetes. The new study aims to fill this research gap. Katrine Hass Rubin, of the Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, is the first study author, and the corresponding author is Dorte Glintborg, Ph.D., of the Department of Endocrinology at the Odense University Hospital. Young women with PCOS at risk Rubin and colleagues examined data from the Danish National Patient Register as well as patient records from the Odense University Hospital. In total, the study looked at 19,639 premenopausal women who had been diagnosed with PCOS. The researchers tested the participants' glucose, testosterone, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. To compare women with PCOS with healthy controls, for each woman with a PCOS diagnosis, the researchers randomly select Continue reading >>
Your Blood Sugar May Be The Key To Your Hormone Imbalance
I remember from my early medical training that the first question a doctor should ask a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is, “Are you trying to get pregnant?” If the answer is no, hand them the birth control pill. If the answer is yes, choose between clomid, a fertility drug, and metformin, an insulin sensitizer. No questions related to lifestyle, stress, nutrition, total toxic burden – I had 29 more patients to get to that day. It turns out that research shows many lifestyle changes can pull someone out of the metabolic chaos of PCOS, and decrease her chances of developing co-morbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, anxiety, depression and infertility. RELATED: What You Should Know About Infertility’s Most Common Cause A root cause of PCOS Insulin resistance is one of the root physiological imbalances in most, if not all, PCOS. This is where your pancreas needs to pump out more and more insulin in response to high blood sugar levels. Insulin lowers the blood sugar by storing the glucose in cells. The cells become resistant to the constant insulin and need more to be signaled to lower the blood sugar. When this resistance goes on for a while, you have high insulin and high blood sugar. Incidentally, insulin is a fat-storage hormone, concentrating fat in the belly region. High insulin levels can tell the ovaries to make more testosterone. That’s why some women with PCOS have symptoms of excess androgens, like dark hairs on the face and belly. If you have PCOS, ask your doctor for a fasting insulin and fasting glucose level to be drawn, along with a HgbA1C (an average of blood sugars for the past 12 months). Shoot for an insulin level under 10, and if you’re really a perfectionist, under 5. Fasting glucose should be Continue reading >>
Relationship Between Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Subsequent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-based Study
Abstract Data from 1998–2012 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were used for this study. ICD9-CM codes 256.4X and 648.X were used separately for the diagnoses of PCOS and GDM, which were further confirmed by records of blood tests or ultrasonography to ensure the accuracy of the diagnoses. Women diagnosed at < 15 or > 45 years of age, and those diagnosed with overt diabetes mellitus or GDM prior to PCOS were excluded. During pregnancy, each woman with a previous diagnosis of PCOS was age-matched to 10 women without PCOS. Odds ratios (ORs) for risk of GDM were calculated by logistic regression analysis with adjustment for economic status and co-morbidities. Results Among 7,629 eligible women with a valid PCOS diagnosis, 3,109 (42.87%) had subsequent pregnancies. GDM occurred frequently among women with a history of PCOS as compared to those without PCOS (20.46% vs. 10.54%, p<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that PCOS was associated with GDM (adjusted OR = 2.15; 95% CI:1.96–2.37). Among 3,109 affected patients, 1,160 (37.31%) had used medications for PCOS and 261 (8.39%) were treated with an oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA). There was no significant difference in development of GDM between the medication and no medication sub-groups (p>0.05). If not used after conception, OHAs did not reduce the risk of GDM (adjusted OR = 1.20; 95% CI:0.88–1.62). A history of PCOS is a significant and independent risk factor for development of GDM. Medication for PCOS or pre-pregnancy use of OHAs does not reduce the risk of GDM. When at-risk women become pregnant, they require closer surveillance for maternal and fetal well-being, and should follow a strict diet and adhere to weight gain control to avoid obstetric complications due to GDM. Citation: Pan M Continue reading >>
- Improved pregnancy outcomes in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes but substantial clinic-to-clinic variations: a prospective nationwide study
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Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Are Four Times More Likely To Develop Type 2 Diabetes
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a quadrupled risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study has found. It was already known the common condition – which affects an estimated one in every five women – can cause insulin resistance, a risk factor for the potentially deadly disease. But the link with PCOS – which causes irregular periods, acne, weight gain and fertility issues – and the metabolic condition has not been thoroughly researched. Now, scientists have quantified the increased risk and discovered that women with the ovary-related illness are on average diagnosed with diabetes four years earlier than other patients. In the study, the average age of a diabetes diagnosis for those with PCOS was 31. 'Many women with PCOS are obese, but the risk for the development of diabetes in PCOS is unknown,' explained one of the study's authors, Dorte Glintborg, from the Odense University Hospital in Denmark. 'The increased risk of developing T2D [type 2 diabetes] in PCOS is an important finding. 'Diabetes may develop at a young age and screening for diabetes is important, especially in women who are obese and have PCOS.' Key findings of the study The team studied more than 19,500 pre-menopausal Danish women with a diagnosis of PCOS. The women with PCOS were then compared with other females of a similar age who did not have PCOS, nor a previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that women with PCOS were four times more likely to develop diabetes compared to their counterparts who did not have the condition. They also discovered that higher body mass index, insulin and glucose levels and triglycerides (fat in the blood) were also associated with development of diabetes. Exactly how can PCOS lead to diabetes? Insulin is a hormone that con Continue reading >>
How Is Diabetes Related To Cholesterol?
The Diabetes Forum - find support, ask questions and share your experiences with 250,009 people. Join the Forum A Cholesterol is a type of blood fat (blood lipid) that forms the membrane of each cell of the body. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by proteins called lipoproteins and it is these that are measured when you have a cholesterol test. Ratio of total cholesterol-to-HDL is taken by dividing the total cholesterol figure by the HDL figure. This provides a more reliable indicator of heart health than looking at the total cholesterol or LDL figures. High cholesterol does not usually present any symptoms in itself, however, people that have high or unbalanced cholesterol levels over a number of years are more likely to develop problems conditions such as heart disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). If you have healthy fats and follow a low-carb diet, youare likely to have as good or better cholesterol levels and heart health than by following a low-fat diet. As we noted above, higher total cholesterol does not necessarily indicate unhealthy cholesterol levels. So, when reviewing your cholesterol levels, look at the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. Statins are effective in reducing levels of cholesterol and have been found to reduce risk of heart disease. As with any medication, be aware of the side effects that can exist. A cholesterol test, which measures total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, should be performed at least once every year for people with diabetes. If you smoke, it is highly beneficial to quit smoking to lower your risk of heart attack or stroke. Statins will often be offered to adults with diabetes and high cholesterol. Following a healthy diet, that is not over-reliant on processed food, Continue reading >>
Hyperandrogenism And Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Women With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Hyperandrogenism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Institute of Maternal and Child Research (E.C.), School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 836-0160 Chile Search for other works by this author on: Department of Endocrinology (H.F.E.-M.), Hospital Ramon y Cajal and Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, E-28034 Spain Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Hector F. Escobar-Morreale, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Ramon y Cajal and Universidad de Alcala, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9100, Madrid, E-28034 Spain. Search for other works by this author on: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 92, Issue 4, 1 April 2007, Pages 12091216, Ethel Codner, Hector F. Escobar-Morreale; Hyperandrogenism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 92, Issue 4, 1 April 2007, Pages 12091216, Context: At present, women with type 1 diabetes (DM1) are being treated with supraphysiological doses of exogenous insulin with the aim of providing a strict metabolic control, thereby avoiding the long-term complications of this disease. We hypothesized that PCOS would be especially prevalent in DM1, as might happen in any condition in which the ovary and the adrenals are exposed to excessive insulin concentrations. As will be seen in the present review, androgen excess and PCOS are very frequent complaints in women with DM1, yet nowadays hyperandrogenism is seldom diagnosed in these patients. Evidence Acquisition: We conducted a systematic review of all the published studies addressing hyperandrogenic symptoms in women with DM1, identified through the Entrez-PubMed search engine, followed by a comprehensive review of the pa Continue reading >>
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (pcos) And Diabetes
What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that can affect girls undergoing puberty. Girls with PCOS suffer from hormone imbalance. Their ovaries tend to produce unusually high amounts of certain hormones called androgens. The ovaries are two small organs that belong to the female reproductive system and are located on either side of the belly. They contain eggs and release hormones. Girls with PCOS may have enlarged ovaries because they contain many cysts (sacs filled with fluid). Teenage girls and women with PCOS often have insulin resistance, which typically causes the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal. Increased insulin can cause weight gain, which is a factor in the development of both PCOS and type 2 diabetes. The cause of PCOS is not well understood. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) In Canada, PCOS was found in 12% of children and youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For information on signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, read our Health A-Z on PCOS. Further information For more information on complications of diabetes and related conditions, please see the following pages: Continue reading >>
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome May Trigger Diabetes Risk, Here Are Some Dietary Do's And Donts For Pcod In Women
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS refers to a condition when a woman has a number of small cysts in the ovaries. Besides unpredictable hormonal behaviour, this condition can trigger diabetes, infertility, acne and excessive hair growth. PCOS is fast becoming one of the most common problems faced by young women across the world. According to a latest study, women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are four times at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (Type-2 diabetes) and are also prone to be diagnosed at an earlier age with the blood-sugar condition. The findings showed that in women with PCOS, diabetes is diagnosed four years earlier. The average age for women with PCOS who received a diagnosis of Type-2 diabetes was 31 years. The average age for women without PCOS and diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes was 35 years, the researchers said. "The increased risk of developing Type-2 diabetes in PCOS is an important finding," said one of the researchers Dorte Glintborg from Odense University Hospital in Denmark. "Diabetes may develop at a young age and screening for diabetes is important, especially in women who are obese and have PCOS," Glintborg added. Women who have PCOS produce slightly higher amounts of testosterone and other androgen hormones than average. Although these reproductive hormones are typically associated with men, women also have small amounts. The elevated levels of these hormones in women with PCOS can contribute to irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, weight gain, acne or excess hair on the face and body. For the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the team analysed two populations with PCOS: 18,477 pre-menopausal Danish women with a diagnosis of PCOS and a local sub-group of 1,162 women wi Continue reading >>
Are Pcos And Diabetes Connected?
It’s long been suspected that there is a link between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes. Increasingly, experts believe that these conditions are related. PCOS is a disorder that disrupts a woman’s endocrine system and increases her levels of androgens, or male hormones. This disruption can cause irregular menstruation, excessive hair growth, acne, and obesity. It can also impact a women’s ability to have a child. It’s often diagnosed when small pockets of fluid appear in a woman’s ovaries during an ultrasound. Learn more about polycystic ovary syndrome » While the cause of PCOS remains unknown, it’s believed that insulin resistance, which leads to high levels of insulin, as well as low-grade inflammation and hereditary factors, may all play a role, according to Mayo Clinic. PCOS affects between 5 to 10 percent of women in the United States. How Does PCOS Relate to Diabetes? Some theories suggest that insulin resistance can create an adverse reaction involving the immune system and help bring about type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the cells of the body become resistant to insulin, an inadequate amount of insulin is made, or both. An estimated 29.1 million Americans have some form of diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While type 2 diabetes is typically preventable or manageable through exercise and a proper diet, research shows that PCOS is a strong independent risk factor for developing diabetes. In fact, women who experience PCOS in young adulthood are at an elevated risk for diabetes and potentially fatal heart problems later in life. Five Times the Risk? Researchers in Australia collected data from 6,000 women and found that those who had PCOS were three to five times more like Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Risk Higher In Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (pcos) Related Inflammation
Home » Diabetes » Type 2 diabetes risk higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) related inflammation Type 2 diabetes risk is higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) related inflammation. A recent study found that 50 percent of women with PCOS develop pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes before the age of 40. The researchers found that PCOS related inflammation could be the link between the two conditions. When we consume a meal our glucose levels increase, so it’s the body’s job to absorb the extra glucose using insulin. If insulin cannot be secreted, then it can lead to high glucose levels. In women with PCOS, rises in glucose after a meal stimulates inflammation, which does not normally occur in women without PCOS. This inflammation hinders the ability for insulin to become secreted, which leads to insulin resistance and is an early stage of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, PCOS patients have poorly functioning β-cells – cells found in the pancreas that produce insulin. The researchers found that obese women with PCOS had greater first and second phase β-cell impairment. Additionally, lean and obese PCOS patients had greater inflammatory responses in comparison to lean women without PCOS. The authors wrote, “Our findings highlight the need for further investigation to determine the mechanism by which inflammation interacts with the pancreatic β-cells to increase diabetes risk in PCOS.” Previous study links PCOS and obesity to type 2 diabetes risk in women Like the new research, previous findings also support that women with PCOS have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study looked at over 6,000 women between the ages of 25 and 28 over the course of nine years – 500 of them were diagnosed with PCOS. Incidences of type Continue reading >>
