Polycystic ovary syndrome makes life difficult for many women, but also threatens their he alth, causing serious metabolic disorders.

In women with PCOS, impaired glucose tolerance and metabolic syndrome occur almost twice as often, and type 2 diabetes is up to five times more common than in women without the disease. PCOS also predisposes to lipid disorders and arterial hypertension. These are serious risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, which are the most common cause of death in Poland.

PCOS and abdominal obesity

The cause of PCOS is an excess of androgens, which promotes the deposition of fatty tissue, especially around the abdomen, causing the so-called abdominal obesity. The problem is that fatty tissue builds up not only under the skin, but also around organs, and this carries the risk of serious he alth complications. This is because fat cells produce a number of substances that have a negative effect on he alth. These are substances with a pro-inflammatory effect, including cytokines and adipokines as well as hormones that disrupt the body's hormonal balance.

PCOS and insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia

Pro-inflammatory substances damage e.g. insulin receptors found in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and liver. Damage to the insulin receptor prevents insulin from introducing glucose into the cell, where it should be metabolized. The consequence of insulin resistance is hyperinsulinemia, i.e. the secretion of increased amounts of insulin by the pancreas. In this way, the body tries to compensate for the problem with glucose metabolism and "pump" glucose into the cell. Unfortunately, increased insulin secretion fuels the appetite. The patient eats more, has more and more adipose tissue and higher and higher insulin levels. High insulin levels also stimulate the production of androgens, which exacerbates the hormonal problems characteristic of PCOS. A vicious circle is created that is difficult to break.

The pancreas is only able to produce increased amounts of insulin for a certain period of time to save the body from hyperglycemia (excessive blood glucose levels resulting from impaired metabolism). At some point, even increased insulin production cannot stop hyperglycemia. Then the only way to lower glycemia (hyperglycemia is dangerous to he alth) is regular insulin injection. InIn this way, increasing insulin resistance leads to the development of type 2 diabetes.

PCOS and lipid disorders

PCOS is associated with an increased risk of hyperlipidemia, i.e. elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood serum. It has to do with insulin resistance. Fat cells that stop taking in glucose (due to damage to the insulin receptor) are lipolyzed and release free fatty acids into the blood. It is not indifferent to he alth! Free fatty acids reach the liver along with the blood and make it fatty. Also, hepatocytes (liver cells), which can no longer contain more fats, begin to release very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which turn into triglycerides. Their high level intensifies atherosclerotic changes and leads to coronary artery disease.

PCOS and hypertension

Increased risk of hypertension in women suffering from PCOS is associated primarily with systemic inflammation, the source of which is excess body fat. Increased inflammatory parameters may also be the result of dysbiosis, i.e. imbalance of the intestinal microbiota. Both fat cells and pathogenic gut bacteria produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that enter the bloodstream.

Both circulating cytokines and excess glucose contribute to damage to the vascular endothelium, which in turn leads to hypertension. In addition, insulin resistance increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which also translates into an increase in blood pressure.

PCOS and the metabolic syndrome

Not every woman suffering from PCOS must suffer from all of the metabolic disorders described above. Their configuration and intensity may vary. However, the presence of at least three from the list below indicates the so-called metabolic syndrome:

  • abdominal obesity (waist circumference exceeding 80 cm in women);
  • hypertension (over 130/85 mm Hg);
  • fasting glucose over 100 mg / dL;
  • triglycerides over 150 mg / dl;
  • HDL cholesterol levels below 50 mg / dL in women.

The diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.

Intestinal microbiota and the metabolic syndrome

In recent years, more and more has been said about the role of the intestinal microbiota in the development of metabolic disorders. Research confirms that obese people have a different composition of the bacterial microbiota than lean people - poorer in terms of the number of species, with a predominance of bacteriaFirmicutes andMollicutes , which have an adverse effect on metabolism. It is important to realize that intestinal dysbiosis can not only fuel inflammation, but also promote weight gain. It turns out that some intestinal bacteria increase the ability to break down polysaccharide residues remaining in the gastrointestinal tract, which are normally removed with the faeces. Thanks to this, the body can obtain 80-200 additional calories per day. Over the course of a year, this could mean a few extra pounds.

Fortunately, adverse changes in microbiota can be corrected through the use of probiotics and a high-fiber diet. Many scientific studies emphasize that women with PCOS benefit from bacteria of the typeBifidobacteriumandLactobacillus(e.g. present in Sanprobi Super Formula). Their action is, inter alia, to:

  • supporting weight loss,
  • lowering insulin resistance parameters,
  • lowering triglycerides,
  • improve glucose homeostasis parameters,
  • improvement of hormonal indicators,
  • reducing inflammation.

Therefore, in the treatment of metabolic disorders, in addition to taking medications prescribed by a doctor, following a balanced diet and increasing physical activity, it is also worth using the potential of probiotic therapy.

Category:

Female diseases