Wellness Tuesday: PCOS—A Deeper Look

Last week, I shared some of the symptoms of PCOS. Let’s take a deeper look this week at the causes and complications of PCOS.

Medical personnel are unsure of the exact causes of PCOS. Genetics and hormonal imbalance are the two largest known causes of this syndrome.

Some of the following factors may play a role in PCOS:

Diabetes is a common symptom found with PCOS

Excess insulin
Heredity
Inflammation in the white blood cells {also known as low-grade inflammation}
Abnormal fetal development {an excessive exposure of male hormones during fetal life}

With PCOS there are various conditions that become prevalent. These are intensified when obesity is a factor.

Some of the more common complications include:

Type 2 Diabetes
Sleep Apnea
High Blood Pressure
Abnormal uterine bleeding
Cancer of the uterine lining
Gestational diabetes
PCOS can be hereditary
Cholesterol abnormalities
- Elevated triglycerides
- Low density HDL {good cholesterol}
- High levels of LDL {bad cholesterol}
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Inflammation of the liver
Stroke
Difficulty conceiving/Infertility
Multiple miscarriages
Breast cancer
Risk of heart attack is 4 to 7 times higher than for women without PCOS