Speaking in an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, Adelekan said to determine if a woman has PCOS, an expert has to check for at least two symptoms of the condition.

According to him, 80 percent of women with PCOS are overweight or obese.

“Poly means many, while cystic means bag of water. The ovary is the egg house and syndrome means the combination of symptoms and signs.

He, however, said the exact causes of PCOS are unknown but it is associated with obesity, genes, and insulin resistance.

“One of the problems is obesity. In 80 percent of cases, obese women have PCOS.

“It has also been found to be hereditary and it’s also associated with insulin resistance. Insulin is a major hormone that helps with the maintenance of glucose in the body. If it’s high and the body is also resistant to it, it’s associated with PCOS,” Adelekan said.

“PCOS is a major cause of menstrual irregularities and infertility in our environment. It’s becoming common and it’s affecting young girls in our environment,” the physician warned.

The fertility specialist noted that the major problem of PCOS is hormonal imbalance.

“The major one that is affected is testosterone. Testosterone is the male hormone, a little amount of which is found in women.

“However, in women affected by PCOS, the testosterone is high, such that it’s turning the woman into a man.

“So, the menstruation will start going down gradually, she will not be menstruating for more than three to four times in a year; she will have male pattern egg distribution, she will have hair on the chest and these are the parts of the problems the testosterone will be causing in her, coupled with the fact that she will have problems with conception.

“Usually, when your menstrual cycle is more than 35 days, you’re likely going to be having this kind of problem.

“Also, if you have hair distribution like a man and you have a problem getting pregnant; one can have either of the two, you are likely going to have PCOS,” he noted.

He advised any woman having two or more of the symptoms of PCOS to see a specialist for proper medical examination.

“The specialist will examine you and ask you to do some tests on your hormonal profile to see if your hormones are in disarray and if your testosterone is high; these will give the specialist an idea of the problem you’re facing.

“Ultrasound scan will show you how your ovaries are. You don’t need to have all the problems; but if you have two, it’s okay to diagnose for PCOS,” he added.

Adelekan said the treatment option depends on the problem presented. However, the treatment is almost the same.

“It can be non-pharmacological, surgical, or in-vitro fertilization.

“Non-pharmacological means there is no use of drug or surgery. It’s mainly lifestyle modifications. If you’re obese, you need to lose weight as much as possible.

“If you can lose about six to 10 percent of your weight, a lot of these things will be reversed.

“So, as much as possible, do regular exercise, eat a diet that will help you reduce weight and that will help in achieving normal menstrual cycle or start ovulating so that you can get pregnant.

“Medical treatment depends on if you need to have your menstrual cycle normalised. Some drugs can be given; and for those that are trying to be pregnant, some drugs can stimulate you to start releasing eggs and help you with getting pregnant.

“However, if all these drugs fail, there are surgical options that can be done and if the surgical options fail, IVF is an important option that can be done,” Adelekan said.

Meanwhile, studies have shown that PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women, presenting with several possible combinations of signs and symptoms and a range of phenotypes, which may include reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic alterations.

A study carried out in Nigeria and published in the Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology noted that PCOS is a frequent diagnosis in oligomenorrheic and infertile Nigerian women but there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of PCOS in Nigerian women.

Researchers led by Chinyere Akpata investigated the prevalence of PCOS in a cross-section of women attending infertility clinics in Benin City, Nigeria.

The researchers recruited 421 consecutive infertile premenopausal women aged 18 – 45 years and evaluated with a proforma that elicited information about their maternal and reproductive health history.

Their blood samples were analysed for hormone levels using standard immunoassay procedures, while a transvaginal ultrasound scan was carried out to determine the presence of ultrasonic features of PCOS.

The result of the study estimated prevalence of biochemical hyperandrogenism was as high as 20.9 percent (88 women), while 3.6 percent (15 women) presented with clinical hyperandrogenism.

Also, the prevalence of polycystic ovaries was 13.8 percent.

“The prevalence of PCOS based on NIH, Rotterdam, and AES criteria was 16.9 percent (71 women), 27.6 percent (116 women), and 20.7 percent (87 women) respectively. However, women with PCOS were significantly younger and had higher total testosterone levels (p = 0.001) when compared to controls.

“The prevalence of PCOS is as high in the population under study as in other prevalence studies. The hormonal investigations were clinically useful in assessing the prevalence rates. However, the recruitment criteria, together with the regional and racial factors may have contributed to the estimates obtained, and the high incidence of bio-chemical hyperandrogenism in this region,” the researchers said.

The researchers concluded that the economic burden of PCOS is significantly huge. Therefore accurate and early diagnosis and intervention of the disease are necessary not only to prevent future health comorbidities but also to reduce financial cost and burden, thereby ensuring good health and well-being.

“This study has provided insights into the contribution of PCOS to the high burden of infertility in the Sub-Saharan region, and showed that the prevalence of PCOS is high in infertile Nigerian women. Clinical approaches and hormonal investigations for managing PCOS as part of the treatment of infertility are imperative,” they said.

source: Punch