Verity - sharing the truth about PCOS

The main long-term health risks to be aware of with PCOS are endometrial cancer (cancer of the womb lining) and type 2 diabetes.

Endometrial cancer develops over several years if the womb lining (endometrium) is not lost regularly. With periods every few weeks, your risk is low; if, however, you have less than two or three periods a year, there is an increased risk, which needs to be dealt with. Your doctor can prescribe a low-dose contraceptive pill or progesterone tablets every few months to bring on a period and clear the womb lining from your body You don’t need to have an induced period every month, either – once every three months seems to be sufficient. If you are worried because you have not had a period for over a year, your doctor can arrange an ultrasound scan to check that the womb lining is normal.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in women with PCOS than women without it. It occurs because there is too much sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. Untreated, this causes damage to your organs. Many women with PCOS are insulin resistant, which means they are making a lot of insulin to keep their blood sugar down to a normal level. These high levels of insulin can lead to weight gain, irregular periods, infertility, higher levels of testosterone – many of the symptoms of PCOS – and a greater risk of diabetes. You can reduce this risk by improving your insulin resistance, which means getting fitter and losing weight – even small amounts of weight loss can help. Your GP should check for early signs of diabetes, perhaps on a yearly basis. This is particularly important if you are overweight or have diabetes in your family. You may also be prescribed an insulin-sensitising medication such as metformin.

Heart disease is another long-term health risk with PCOS. Women with PCOS, especially if they are overweight, can have unhealthy amounts of fats in their bloodstream, which may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. It makes sense to have your fasting blood-fat levels checked so that if they are high you can improve your diet and fitness to reduce them. If you are a smoker, it is vital that you stop – ask your GP for advice. Your GP may treat you with statins to lower your blood-fat levels and may also be able to prescribe nicotine-replacement therapy.

Books

• What to Do When the Doctor Says It's PCOS: The Most Important Things You Need to Know
  by Milton Hammerly and Cheryl Kimball (Fair Winds Press)

• The PCOS Protection Plan
  by Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung (Hay House)

Websites

• British Heart Foundation
  http://www.bhf.org.uk

• Cancer Research UK
  http://www.cancerresearchuk.org

• Diabetes UK
  http://www.diabetes.org.uk