An Insight on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Use of Herbal Medicines as Alternative Treatment

Author(s):  
Sowmya Kiran Rao

One of the most common endocrine disorder in females during reproductive age which leads to infertility, metabolic derangements, and also psychological impairments is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This syndrome has been known to increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, lipid disorders, and also autoimmune thyroiditis. Impending complication list includes malignancies like breast and endometrial cancer. The actual cause of this syndrome is unknown, and perhaps, it could be due to a combination of various unmodifiable genetic factors and modifiable environmental factors. Several research studies have been carried out on management of PCOS, and many medicinal plants have been used as an alternative therapy for oligo/amenorrhoea, hyperandrogenism, and PCOS in women. The chapter gives an insight on PCOS, its management, and elucidates the effects of medicinal plants on PCOS.

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan W. Groth

Introduction. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has a prevalence of 5—8% in women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities. Adiponectin is a circulating protein produced by adipocytes. Circulating levels of adiponectin are inversely related to adipocyte mass. Low levels occur with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity-related cardiovascular disease. This article reviews the literature on the link between adiponectin and PCOS and the potential use of adiponectin as a biomarker for PCOS. Method. Data-based studies on adiponectin and PCOS and adiponectin measurement were identified through the Medline (1950—2009) and ISI Web of Knowledge (1973—2009) databases. Results. Fifteen studies related to adiponectin and PCOS met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These studies present evidence that adiponectin is linked to insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, body mass index (BMI), and adiposity. In women with PCOS, lower levels, as opposed to higher levels, of adiponectin occur in the absence of adiposity. Conclusion. The relationships between adiponectin and insulin resistance and sensitivity, metabolic syndrome, and BMI in women with PCOS suggest that adiponectin potentially could serve as a marker for disease risk and provide opportunity for earlier intervention if knowledge is successfully translated from laboratory to clinical practice. However, further study of the relationship between adiponectin and PCOS is required before there can be direct application to clinical practice.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Nadine Whitaker

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. It affects 6% to 7% of the population and is characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovarian dysfunction. Women with the disorder often present with insulin resistance and obesity, making it importance for health care providers to monitor closely for signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Treatments are targeted toward improving insulin tolerance, reducing signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism (hirsutism, anovulation, etc), restoring normal menstrual cycle function, and restoring fertility. Major treatment should include weight management through diet and exercise, regardless of body mass index and might include concurrent drug therapy. It is important that pharmacists understand the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and the available treatments, in addition to the importance of reducing risk of metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in these patients.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinka Pavicic Baldani ◽  
Lana Skrgatic ◽  
Roya Ougouag

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder amongst women of reproductive age. Although PCOS is diagnosed exclusively based on reproductive criteria, it is also a metabolic disorder. Insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dyslipidemia are more common in women with PCOS than in age-comparable women without PCOS. Many of the metabolic abnormalities that manifest in PCOS are worsened by the concurrent incidence of obesity. However, some of these metabolic perturbations occur even in lean women with PCOS and therefore are rightfully recognized as intrinsic to PCOS. The intrinsic factors that produce these metabolic disturbances are reviewed in this paper. The consequences of obesity and the other metabolic aberrations are also discussed. The metabolic perturbations in PCOS patients lead to chronic low-grade inflammation and to cardiovascular impairments that heighten the risk of having cardiovascular disease. Even though many studies have shown an elevation in surrogate biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in PCOS women, it is still not clear to what extent and magnitude the elevation precipitates more frequent and earlier events.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Soni ◽  
Shivali Singla ◽  
Sachin Goyal

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovaries, and chronic anovulation along with insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, abdominal obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia as frequent metabolic traits (metabolic syndrome) that culminate in serious long-term consequences such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, endometrial hyperplasia, and coronary artery disease. It is one of the most common causes of anovulatory infertility. A complete understanding of the underlying Pathophysiology of PCOS is still lacking. Because of the heterogeneity of this disorder, there are most likely multiple underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. Pathogenesis of PCOS is explaining as alteration in gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion results in increased luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. An alteration in insulin secretion and insulin action results in hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. A defect in androgen synthesis that results in increased ovarian androgen production.Treatment of PCOS include maintaining a normal endometrium, antagonizing the actions of androgens on target tissues, reducing insulin resistance (when present), and correcting anovulation. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at higher risk for several other health conditions as Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure (Cardiovascular Disease)  


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. R71-R75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond J Rodgers ◽  
Jodie C Avery ◽  
Vivienne M Moore ◽  
Michael J Davies ◽  
Ricardo Azziz ◽  
...  

Objective Many complex diseases exhibit co-morbidities often requiring management by more than one health specialist. We examined cross-speciality issues that ultimately affect the health and wellbeing of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS was originally described as a reproductive condition but is now recognised to also be a metabolic and psychological condition affecting 8–13% of women of reproductive age. With a four-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes (DM2), the Population Attributable Risk of DM2 that could be avoided if PCOS were eliminated is a substantial 19–28% of women of reproductive age. To determine the extent to which PCOS is an important consideration in diabetes development, we examined publications, funding, guidelines and predictors of risk of developing DM2. Results We found that the topic of PCOS appeared in specialist diabetes journals at only 10% the rate seen in endocrinology journals – about 1 in 500 articles. We found research funding to be substantially less than for diabetes and found that diabetes guidelines and predictive tools for DM2 risk mostly ignore PCOS. This is surprising since insulin resistance in women with PCOS has a different aetiology and additionally women with PCOS are at increased risk of becoming overweight or obese – high risk factors for DM2. Conclusions We consider the causes of these concerning anomalies and discuss current activities to address the co-morbidities of PCOS, including the recent development of international guidelines, an international PCOS awareness program and potentially changing the name of PCOS to better reflect its metabolic consequences.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stavroula A Paschou ◽  
Nikolaos Kalogeris ◽  
Stella Proikaki ◽  
Vasiliki Loi ◽  
Panagiotis Anagnostis ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Stephanie Pirotta ◽  
Anju Joham ◽  
Jessica A. Grieger ◽  
Chau Tien Tay ◽  
Mahnaz Bahri-Khomami ◽  
...  

AbstractThis review describes the relationship between obesity and the most common reproductive (infertility) and metabolic (gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM] and type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]) consequences in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It also describes the vital role of lifestyle management for PCOS. PCOS is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder common in reproductive-age women. Consensus on the exact etiological mechanisms of PCOS is unreached. Overweight or obesity is present in at least 60% of the PCOS population, but the condition occurs irrespective of BMI, with excess BMI increasing both the prevalence and severity of clinical features. Use of lifestyle therapies (nutrition, physical activity, and/or behavioral) for the prevention and management of excess weight gain, infertility, GDM, and T2DM is a vital component of best-practice PCOS care. Lifestyle management is recommended for all women with PCOS as the first-line treatment with or without medications. Due to a lack of high-quality trials demonstrating the efficacy of specific lifestyle approaches, PCOS lifestyle recommendations are as those for the general population. This review summarizes current knowledge relating to obesity and its impact on fertility, GDM, and T2DM. It also summarizes the lifestyle recommendations to best manage these conditions in women with PCOS and obesity.


Diabetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1612-P
Author(s):  
NADIRA SULTANA KAKOLY ◽  
ARUL EARNEST ◽  
HELENA TEEDE ◽  
LISA MORAN ◽  
DEBORAH LOXTON ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Schiattarella ◽  
Gaetano Riemma ◽  
Marco La Verde ◽  
Gianluigi Franci ◽  
Annalisa Chianese ◽  
...  

: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects about 15% of women of reproductive age and is correlated with infertility, insulin resistance, and obesity. The etiology of PCOS is multifactorial and genetic, endocrine, and metabolic causes were involved. New evidence suggests a link between microorganisms residing in the digestive tracts of humans and the development of PCOS. Moreover, an imbalance in the gut microbial community could be a possible factor for the onset of insulin resistance and obesity. Hyperandrogenism, a key feature of PCOS, could also play a critical role in shaping the microbiome community. Probiotics could modify the gut microbiota and serve as a potential treatment for PCOS. Here we disclose the association between PCOS and intestinal microbiota and the possible role of probiotics as a new treatment approach.


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