Causes of PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome

Causes of PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome

Experts are not sure what the causes of PCOS are. Most agree that hormone levels probably play a key role.

Insulin resistance - insulin resistance leads to higher levels of blood insulin, which in turn makes the ovaries produce too much testosterone hormone (androgens). This undermines the development of sacs in the ovaries where eggs develop (follicles), leading to abnormal or non-existent ovulation.

Insulin resistance can also make people put on weight, which makes PCOS symptoms worse.

v  Hormonal imbalance - an imbalance in certain hormones is common in women with PCOS, including:

v  High testosterone - although females produce small amounts of testosterone, it is a "male" hormone.

v  High luteinizing hormone (LH) - LH stimulates ovulation, but if levels are excessively high, the proper functioning of the ovaries may be disrupted.

v  Low SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) levels - SHBG helps reduce the effects of testosterone.

v  High prolactin levels - prolactin stimulates the production of milk in the breast glands in pregnancy. High prolactin is present only in some patients with PCOS.

Nobody is sure why these hormonal problems emerge. Some say that the problem could originate in the ovary itself, part of the brain that controls hormonal production, or in other glands in the body. It is also possible that insulin resistance triggered these changes.

Genes - a woman is more likely to develop polycystic ovary syndrome if her mother, aunt or sister also has/had it.

Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University reported in the journal Diabetes thathigh activity levels of a microRNA called miR-93 in fat cells hinders insulin's use of glucose, contributing to PCOS and also insulin resistance.

Scientists from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London found that a gene implicated in the development of obesity is also linked to susceptibility to PCOS.

Bisphenol A (BPA) - researchers at the University of Athens Medical School in Greece found higher BPA levels in women with PCOS compared to other women of the same age. They also found a significant positive association between male sex hormones and BPS in women with PCOS. This suggests that BPA probably has a role in ovarian dysfunction.

BPA is a common industrial compound used in dental materials, plastic consumer products, and food and drink packaging. Study leader, Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, MD, PhD, said "These women should be alert to the potential risks and take care of themselves by avoiding excessive every-day consumption of food or drink from plastic containers."

Exposure to androgens in the womb - according to a study published in Human Reproduction Update in 2005, excessive exposure to androgens (male hormones) while in the womb may have a permanent effect on gene expression, making some genes not work in the way they are supposed to, leading to PCOS later on, as well as insulin resistance.

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