Experts believe that PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and type 2 diabetes are related. PCOS disrupts the endocrine system in women and rises the androgen levels. These androgen levels are known as male hormones. PCOS is mainly caused because of the insulin resistance due to the high level of insulin produced by the pancreas.
Symptoms of PCOS
PCOS can cause the below symptoms:
- Irregular period cycle
- Excessive amount of hair growth
- Acne
- Gain in weight
- Infertility in women
It is usually diagnosed when they see multiple follicles on the women’s ovaries during the ultrasound.
How is PCOS related to diabetes?
There are theories that suggest, insulin resistance can cause a reaction in the endocrine system which causes type 2 diabetes.
When the cells become resistant to insulin and produce a high amount of insulin, it causes type 2 diabetes. You can prevent or control it by doing proper exercise and following a proper balanced diet.
Women who experience PCOS at a young age are likely to get diabetes and there are chances of getting fatal heart problems later.
Though we know the connection between the PCOS and the diabetes, the cause of the relation between both of them is still not clear.
What is deduced from the research of PCOS and diabetes?
In Australia, researchers collected data of 8000 women and found out that the ones who had PCOS were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to the women who did not have PCOS.
Older research stated that there were 27% chances of premenopausal women who have type 2 diabetes also have PCOS.
Because of all these studies, experts recommend that women with PCOS should get checked for type 2 diabetes on a regular basis.
There is another Australian research that stated that pregnant women with PCOS were 3 times likely to get gestational diabetes compared to women with PCOS.
Many other studies show that symptoms are PCOS are also found in women who have type 1 diabetes.
Can you treat two conditions together?
Following a regular exercise routine is very important to keep your body healthy and to fight against obesity and type 2 diabetes. It also helps to control the symptoms of PCOS.
Doing regular exercise helps to burn excess blood sugar by reducing the body weight. In this situation, the cells become more sensitive to insulin. This allows the body to make use of the insulin in an effective way.
A balanced diet also helps to reduce the risk of diabetes by controlling the weight. You should include whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein items, fruits and vegetables.
Treatments to cure a specific condition might complement the other condition or balance each other. Women with the condition of PCOS can be treated with birth control pills as it helps to bring the period on track and get rid of acne. Some of the birth control pills increase the sugar levels which can increase the risk of diabetes. But, metformin which is the medication for type 2 diabetes helps to treat insulin resistance in PCOS.
