Page 39 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants September 2020

FOR PCOS DIAGNOSIS
WOMEN’S HEALTH 37
THE EARLIER THE BETTER
By Nerine Zoio.
Polycystic ovary syndrome,
one of the most talked about women’s health issues over the past few decades, has plagued many a woman of reproductive age because it can’t be cured and could spell infertility.
However, what is often not given enough attention is the fact that if it’s diagnosed earlier rather than later, it could have many health advantages
for the patient in question, Accredited Practising Dietitian Geraldine Georgeou tells Retail Pharmacy Assistants.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
is medically defined as a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder characterised by androgen excess, oligo-ovulation or anovulation, and, in most cases, insulin resistance, she says.
In layman’s terms, she adds, the condition is “all about women producing elevated androgen hormones – ‘male hormones’ – that affect many parts of the body, cause them to miss periods and have difficulty conceiving”.
“It’s a really common hormonal condition that affects up to one in five girls and women in their reproductive years, and interestingly enough
up to seven out of 10 women with PCOS haven’t been diagnosed,”
Ms Georgeou said.
She adds that many women experience a “lifecycle of hormonal issues” without realising these underlying hormonal issues are “problematic”.
“So, you might find a young girl going through puberty with an underlying condition that hasn’t been diagnosed,” Ms Georgeou said. “They could be growing quicker than their peers or
putting on weight – I mean, how many times has a worried mother conveyed these symptoms to me, including their daughter having oily skin or getting her period earlier than her peers?
“Other symptoms include period irregularities and hirsutism, which is body hair that grows in a way seen in male puberty, such as hair on the abdomen and chest, chin and lips, as well as depression and anxiety.
“Some young girls may even be losing their hair and experience male pattern baldness, which is horrible to see!”
Ms Georgeou points out that in these instances the overarching condition that she encounters is underlying insulin resistance.
Even though insulin resistance is commonly associated with PCOS, genes, lifestyle and inflammation are also connected to excess androgen production, “which intercepts the ovaries from producing hormones and making eggs in the usual way”.
The role of genes is demonstrated with the heightened chance – one in two – of immediate next of kin suffering from the condition.
“Insulin resistance can start from puberty to the older teenager, to a woman in her 20s and beyond midlife, with the critical question being when does the condition become of concern,” Ms Georgeou said.
The answer, she says, is as soon as possible, with a diagnosis of PCOS “unfortunately” only generally being made when the woman can’t conceive in her 20s or 30s.
“It would stand women in much better
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RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • SEP 2020