PCOS: do you have it or a variation of it effecting your life or fertility? PCOS is believed to be genetically passed and near 8% of all females have it, near 40% of all female factor infertility is related to PCOS.
Maybe your not the classic polycystic i.e. overweight, male pattern hair distribution, few or no menstrual periods in a year, acne, high testosterone levels, pre-diabetic or diabetic, increasing carbohydrate cravings, high cholesterol and triglycerides, high LH:FSH ratio, recurrent ovarian cysts, thickened ovarian capsule, acanthosis nigricans, central obesity and large ovaries peppered with pre-antral follicles.
There is significant controversy over what constitutes someone with polycystic ovarian disease and criteria differs in America vs Europe. A significant number of individuals are missed or unassisted because they don’t meet these classic symptoms. It is my own theory that there is wide variation in PCOS and its true name should be insulin resistant ovarian androgen hypersensitivity syndrome (IROAHS). If the criteria for PCOS is too specific then a number of individuals that respond hormonally similar to someone with PCOS and yet do not make criteria for such, miss out on helpful options in improving their own health, fertility, and wellbeing.
Clinical Trials
We have been asked recently why our center does not participate in clinical trials. The answer is because most clinical trials are designed to help the company backing the trial and not for the best interest of the patient. For example, a clinical trial that compares the effectiveness of two IVF medications provides answers to the pharmaceutical company, but may not offer the right medication for the patient. In a trial such as this, the
