Editorial

    November 1998 in “ Fertility and sterility ”
    TLDR Doctors used to view PCOS too narrowly, but now understand that insulin resistance is a key factor in the condition.
    In the past, physicians have had a narrow perspective on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), focusing only on symptoms relevant to their own specialties, leading to inadequate treatment for women with PCOS. Dermatologists viewed it as a hair growth issue, gynecologists as a fertility issue, internists associated it with obesity or pseudo-Cushing’s disease, and general practitioners often overlooked it or saw it as a minor menstrual problem. However, a significant advancement in the understanding of PCOS in the last decade has been the recognition that insulin resistance is a common underlying factor in women with PCOS, regardless of their weight. Studies have shown that this insulin resistance is a distinct characteristic of PCOS, with obese women facing additional insulin resistance due to their excess weight. The pancreas initially compensates for this resistance by producing more insulin, which maintains normal glucose tolerance in the early stages of PCOS.
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