PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is characterized by fertility problems, erratic menstrual cycles, obesity or excess weight and insulin resistance. Typically, women who have PCOS are overweight, but there are lean women with PCOS and high insulin levels. This condition is relatively rare and has gone undiagnosed in the past, with the result that sufferers of PCOS have gone untreated. Today more medical providers are recognizing the problem and treating the causes of insulin resistance in conjunction with infertility and menstrual problems.
High Insulin Levels
Women with PCOS have high levels of insulin circulating in their bodies. This increased output of insulin from their pancreas can lead to cysts developing on the ovaries, difficulty losing weight and cholesterol problems. Your physician may prescribe diabetic medications to help relieve insulin resistance and manage your blood sugar levels better, depending on how severe your symptoms are, according to diabetes educator Martha McKittrick. Taking medication can help decrease the stress experienced by your pancreas as it makes more insulin to keep your blood sugar levels normal.
Insulin and Cysts
According to nurse practitioners Marcelle Pick and Marcy Holmes, high levels of circulating insulin can cause cysts to develop on your ovaries, causing fluid retention and swelling. Excess insulin attaches to the lining of the ovaries causing the formation of the cysts. Women who have been diagnosed by their healthcare provider with insulin resistance need constant monitoring, because other health complications can arise, such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by fat around your stomach, high blood pressure, and cholesterol and glucose problems.
Appetite Stimulation
Increased insulin levels increase levels of male hormones, or androgens. These androgens can stimulate your appetite to increase, causing you to eat more food, which causes your body to produce more insulin. This is a vicious cycle for women who are overweight or obese and trying to lose weight to reduce insulin levels, according to I Lang Wong, M.D. in an article on Infertilityspecialist.com.
Metformin
The use of metformin, a diabetic medication that lowers glucose release from the liver, is used to treat insulin resistance in women with PCOS. Metformin is the choice medication because it doesn't cause some of the side effects of weight gain, hypoglycemia and fluid retention seen with other diabetic medications, according to Dr. Wong. Metformin improves insulin function in women with PCOS, and in some cases decreases insulin levels and production by the pancreas.
Diet Treatment
According to McKittrick, limiting the amount of carbohydrates you eat per day helps manage insulin levels. There is no one level of carbohydrate intake recommended; your levels should be based on your lifestyle, energy demands and how much weight you need to lose. Carbohydrate-rich foods need to be combined with other foods to help slow down digestion and absorption. Making sure you have protein, fat and carbohydrates with each meal lessens the impact on your blood sugar level to help you manage your weight goal and promote lower insulin levels.
