Polycystic ovary disease--PCOD--affects five to 10 percent of women in the U.S., the American Pregnancy Association states. The most common endocrine imbalance in women, PCOD has many negative effects on a woman's body, from potentially causing infertility to weight problems, excess facial hair and other side effects related to an overabundance of male hormones. Acne, irregular menstrual periods, thin hair and sleep apnea also affect many women with PCOD. The exact cause of PCOD is unknown, but a number of factors potentially contribute to its development.
Heredity
Having a close female relative like a sister or mother with PCOD increases the risk of developing the disease, the Mayo Clinic states. One study of more than 200 patients in Birmingham, Alabama, found that 77 percent of women with PCOD had a female relative with the disease; one-half had mothers or sisters with PCOD and one-quarter had maternal or paternal aunts, Family Beginnings reported.
Excess Insulin
Women with PCOD often produce excess amounts of insulin, the hormone responsible for the uptake of glucose into cells. Excess insulin results in impaired glucose tolerance and often leads to type 2 diabetes. Both obese and thin women with PCOD have impaired glucose tolerance and an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, according to Family Beginnings. Excess insulin causes the androgen, or male hormone, side effects that occur in many women with PCOD, the Mayo Clinic states.
Low-Grade Inflammation
Women with PCOD may have reactions to certain foods that cause inflammation. Substances produced by white blood cells to fight inflammation can cause an increase in atherosclerosis, plaque formation in the blood vessels, and insulin resistance. One study reported by Family Beginnings found that of women who underwent cardiac catheterization for heart problems under age 60, 42 percent also had PCOD.
Fetal Exposure to Male Androgens
Exposure to higher than normal levels of male hormones, or androgens, before birth may change the way genes work, the Mayo Clinic states. High androgen levels may cause a male fat pattern distribution, which increases insulin resistance and chronic low-level inflammation. Prenatally high androgen levels can be caused by congenital adrenal tumors that cause virilization or by high maternal levels of androgen, lead author Nectaria Xita of the University of Oiannina, Greece, states in an article in a 2005 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association: What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
- American Pregnancy Association: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism": Fetal Programming of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Androgen Excess; Nectaria Xita
