Scientists Believe They Have Discovered The Cause Of The Common Infertility Disease PCOS

Jul 16, 2018

Scientists may have recently discovered the leading cause of infertility in most women. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disease that affects women whose age falls between menarche and menopause (~13-50).

For the longest time, its causes have been unknown. Now, the roots of this disease are starting to come to light.

^{istockphotos.com/torwai}

PCOS can induce irregular or lengthened periods in women, as well as excessive amounts of body hair and severe acne. Some other common symptoms can include unwanted weight gain, fatigue and hair loss.

PCOS is often hard to diagnose, and there are no specific tests for this disease. Instead, a doctor will determine if you have PCOS by reviewing your symptoms with you.

^{istockphotos.com/Kwangmoozaa}

Some scientists believe that this disease may be linked to an increase in the number of prenatal anti-Mullerian hormones found in the body. A prenatal anti-Mullerian hormone is a type of hormone that is discharged by sells during the development of egg sacs - when a baby is in utero. This discovery will soon help doctors understand PCOS and how to treat it.

If a woman with PCOS becomes pregnant, the chances of her having a miscarriage and premature delivery significantly increase.

Other possible complications during pregnancy include high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, depression, and abnormal bleeding in the uterus.

^{istockphotos.com/gorodenkoff}

Paolo Giacobini at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and some of his coworkers ran tests on mice to get some answers to their theories. They noticed that pregnant women with PCOS have 30 percent higher levels of the anti-Mullerian hormone compared to regular women. PCOS is usually passed through generations, so they wanted to see if the increase in the number anti-Mullerian hormones would get passed on to daughters.

Giacobini and his team injected the pregnant mice with extra anti-Mullerian hormones, and when the offspring aged, they began to display some of the same PCOS symptoms as their mother. So, the offspring were given cetrorelix, a drug regularly used in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to relieve them of their symptoms

^{istockphotos.com/gopixa}

These findings offer a new therapeutic solution to treat this condition that is causing infertility in young women. More research is needed before this treatment can be tested in humans, but still, it is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, soon enough, we will have more knowledge of this disease and better treatment options available for women who suffer from PCOS.

^{istockphotos.com/noipornpan}

Does someone you know suffer from PCOS? If so, at which age were they diagnosed with PCOS, and how do they cope with it? Was it hard for doctors to diagnose their symptoms? We would love to hear about their journey!

Send this to other women you know so that we can make everyone aware of the side effects of PCOS. Women should be aware of new case studies revolving around PCOS!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!