Can PCOS Lead to Diabetes?

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What is PCOS?

PCOS is one of the hormonal disorders that women have and is related to the endocrine system. This PCOS can cause androgen levels to increase and male hormone increases in women which can lead to infertility.  Women suffering from PCOS have insulin resistance in them which means insulin is prepared in the body but cannot utilize. This disorder continues for childbearing months and years. When there is an increase in male hormones when women suffer from home that can stop eggs from releasing which means it can lead to infertility and also can cause irregular periods, acne, etc. the hormonal imbalance disorder like PCOS destroys a woman's endocrine system and increases male hormone. Heredity can also play an important role that can causing PCOS. About 10 to 12% of women suffer from PCOS at their reproductive age.

Women suffering from PCOS can have severe health issues, especially if those women are overweight and those can include:

  1. Diabetes: The majority of women by the age of 40 (more than 50% of them) with PCOS start having type 2 diabetes
  2. Heart diseases: Women suffering from PCOS are at higher risk for heart diseases.
  3. High Blood Pressure: The majority of women can suffer from high blood pressure that damages the heart, brain, and kidneys.
  4. Sleep Apnea: Many women suffer from sleep apnea.
  5. Cholesterol: High LDL levels and Low LDL levels can increase the risk for heart disease in women suffering from PCOS.
  6. Depression and anxiety: Many women suffering from PCOS can lead to depression and anxiety.

Here you can know the causes of PCOS, PCOS treatment, And PCOS Symptoms and also the link between PCOS and diabetes and diabetes symptoms.

Causes of PCOS

There are no exact causes of PCOS. But few causes are mentioned below that can cause PCOS in women:

  • Weight: Being overweight can also lead to PCOS
  • Excess male hormone (androgen hormone): Increase in androgen level that is a male hormone can lead to PCOS
  • Family history: The person's family suffer from PCOS or diabetes 2 develops PCOS
  • Insulin resistance: being overweight may lead to insulin resistance and improving weight can improve the symptoms of PCOS. Lifestyle changes are important for people suffering from PCOS and who are overweight.

Symptoms of PCOS

Women suffering from PCOS may have the following symptoms:

  • Irregular periods
  • Male pattern hair growth
  • Acne and pimple 
  • Obesity
  • Infertility
  • Multiple ovarian cysts

Relation between PCOS and diabetes

Diabetes and PCOS are linked to each other as insulin resistance can cause an adverse effect on the endocrine system. When the person's body cell becomes resistant to insulin, disease like diabetes 2 occurs, and a low or abnormal amount of insulin is made. Though diabetes is a risk factor for developing PCOS, diabetes 2 type is manageable and can be prevented through physical activities and exercise, and diet. 

Most of the times symptoms of PCOS are clear and many times it's not clear. For this purpose visiting the doctor is very important and taking their recommendation for any medication is also more important. The majority of the women have single symptoms and most of them have all the symptoms like irregular periods, weight gain, hair growth, skin darkening, etc. When the woman is pregnant, then it becomes difficult to identify the symptoms and causes of PCOS. Ovarian cysts are not the single cause that can confirm PCOS, there are multiple reasons for identifying the reason behind developing PCOS.

Obesity or overweight can lead to many heart diseases as well as the risk of diabetes 2. The most important risk factor for PCOS is diabetes 2 Mellitus. Pregnant women should always have screening for diabetes risk. 

Treatment for PCOS linked to diabetes

If you are dealing with any above symptoms of PCOS, always consult your healthcare provider or doctor. As diabetes is linked to PCOS, doing regular exercises is very important to keep your body healthy. Exercise helps to reduce the excess blood sugar levels and helps to bring the weight to a normal level. Exercises make cells of the body more sensitive to insulin and this allows the body to utilize more insulin and benefit the people suffering from diabetes and PCOS in women. 

Having a balanced diet reduces the risk of being overweight and decreasing the risk of diabetes and helps in reducing weight. Foods like lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains will help keep your diet balanced and maintain a healthy weight.

Treatment for any two conditions may complement one another. For example, people treated with some medicines to regulate regular periods may clear pimples or skin acne but may cause initiation of diabetes due to those medications. They can also raise blood glucose levels and can cause the risk of diabetes. There are many medicines that reduce acne and other symptoms but to treat PCOS you must take proper medications with the help of your doctor. 

Take Away

PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting the endocrine system that can also cause the onset of diabetes by causing insulin resistance to the body. One or more symptoms are required to identify the cause of PCOS. Changing lifestyle can help you in weight loss and not being overweight. This will help you manage your health. Thus treating PCOS is very important as it is linked to diabetes mellitus disease.

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