Metabolc aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome
Keywords:
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome, insulin sensitizers, metforminAbstract
Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies, characterised by hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation. Over the last twenty years, it has been widely recognized that in addition to endocrine and reproductive abnormalities, most women with PCOS demonstrate metabolic disturbances. This is not a surprising finding, since insulin resistance (IR) followed by compensatory hyperinsulinemia has been recognized as the central pathogenetic feature of the syndrome. Consequently, the PCOS women have higher rate and degree of impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, central obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension and even subclinical signs of atherosclerosis compared to age and weight matched controls. They often have an adverse cardiovascular risk profile, characteristic of the metabolic syndrome.
Conclusions: The knowledge about the association between IR and PCOS has been recently incorporated into the framework of PCOS treatment. There is increasing evidence that application of insulin sensitizing drugs, metformin and PPAR gamma agonists thiazolidinediones (TZDs), has favorable endocrine, reproductive and metabolic effects in PCOS. Recent developments and findings of the cardiometabolic abnormalities in patients with PCOS are reviewed here and the effects of insulin sensitizing drugs in this disorder are summarised, as well.
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