Hormonal Disorder Hits More Women Than Thought

FRIDAY, June 4, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A hormonal disorder marked by infertility, acne, weight gain and excess hair affects more women of childbearing age than experts previously believed, a new study says.

One in 15 women suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, said Dr. Ricardo Azziz, lead author of the study in the June 4 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

It is the most common endocrine abnormality of reproductive-aged women in the United States, the team concluded.

Previously, Azziz and his research team had estimated that 4 percent of women suffered from the syndrome, but that study, published in 1998, used a less representative sample.

"The reality is, it's much closer to 6.5 percent of women have polycystic ovary syndrome," said Azziz, who is chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

In the new analysis, Azziz and his team evaluated 400 women, aged 18 to 45, using medical histories, physical exams and lab results that were taken as part of pre-employment physicals. Screeners looked for ovulation problems, excessive hairiness and other common symptoms of the disorder./p>

The women were all job applicants at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. They were tested between July, 1, 1998, and October 31, 1999.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a genetically complex hormonal disorder. Women with PCOS have many small cysts on the peripheries of their ovaries and excessive levels of androgens, so-called "male" hormones. The ensuing ovulatory problems can lead to infertility. Sometimes patients can develop insulin resistance, a condition in which the normal amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas can't get to the cells, thereby boosting the risk for type 2 diabetes.

"Symptoms become apparent at or around puberty," Azziz said. "Many women have irregular periods early on in their reproductive lives."

"There is a spectrum [of symptoms]," he said. "This is a syndrome, which means it is a collection of features. There are some patients more severely affected than others. There are some who are very obese, very [hairy], very insulin-resistant and have no periods at all."

Another expert calls the new research a good starting point for a disorder that doctors need to study more.

"They systematically looked at a large group of patients and were able to say, 'This is really more common than we thought,'" said Dr. Ingrid Rodi, a reproductive endocrinologist at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center in California.

"Ultimately, what we want to know is genetically what predisposes people to these problems," Rodi said.

The hope, she added, is that further research can alert health-care providers so they can determine who will get the syndrome, and "tell us how we can intervene before somebody has these syndromes."

Treatments for the syndrome run the gamut, from birth control pills and androgen-lowering drugs to insulin-sensitizing medications and anti-hair growth drugs. Some experts also suggest a diet low in processed carbohydrates and exercise.

Women who think they might suffer from PCOS should mention their concerns to a a gynecologist, Rodi said.

More information

To learn more about polycystic ovary syndrome, visit the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.