Link Between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Gut Microbiome Identified

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome were found to have significant microbial changes in the gut-related to their metabolic health, stated University of Tartu researchers and their collaborators from Finland and Spain.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the complex hormonal disorder affects up to 18% of women in reproductive age. Due to the excess of male sex hormones, women with polycystic ovary syndrome often have irregularities in their menstrual cycle.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - Overview
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age and can cause infertility.

‘New study reveals the gut microbiome in polycystic ovary syndrome and its association with metabolic traits. ’

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PCOS is linked to various metabolic derangements, including obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The multifactorial causes of polycystic ovary syndrome include genetics, lifestyle, and possibly the gut microbiome.

The study aimed to assess whether the gut microbiome is linked to polycystic ovary syndrome in late fertile age women.

"Our study population consisted of a subset of females from the longitudinal Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, which includes all expected births in 1966 in the two northernmost provinces of Finland," said the first author of the paper Kreete Lüll.

Test Your Knowledge on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a very common condition seen in women during their reproductive years. It is associated with irregular periods, excessive facial and body hair (hirsutism), infertility, obesity and other endocrine and metabolic abnormalities.

Study results showed no significant differences in gut microbiome between women who have polycystic ovary syndrome and healthy women in their late fertile age.

There are differences in microbiome profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in a pre-diabetic state compared to those with standard glucose tolerance.

PCOD Conclave 2016: Guidelines For The Diagnosis And Management Of Polycystic Ovarian Disease
Polycystic ovarian disease is an endocrine disorder that is one of the commonest causes of infertility in women. Women develop small cysts in their ovaries that disrupt their menstrual cycle.

"Although this study shed some light on the causes of polycystic ovary syndrome, further research with a larger sample set among younger women is needed in order to clarify the possible link between the gut microbiome, metabolites and development of polycystic ovary syndrome," added the last author, Senior Research Fellow of Molecular Biomedicine Elin Org.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Statistics

Androgen Levels During Pregnancy Related to PCOS Risk
Daughters of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are at more risk of developing PCOS when they become adults, say researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

It is one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Women with PCOS are often insulin resistant.
Most women find out they have PCOS in their 20s and 30s.

Source-Medindia