PCOS – A New Age Epidemic & How To Tame The Devil
A 20 year old BBA student visited Nutrition Needs in the month of July 2018. She was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance & PCOS with multiple follicles in both the ovaries. She used to have irregular painful menstrual cycle. Her fasting insulin levels were 26.2 and insulin to glucose ratio was 0.31, HOMA FR was 5.5 (more than 5 is an indication of severe insulin resisitance)
She was prescribed metformin (500mg) 3 times a day and Ginette 35 for regularizing her menstrual cycle by her endocrinologist. She was advised to consult a qualified dietitian for healthy Life style & Weight loss to improve her health.
Her initial weight was 78.4kg . She was kept on a well balanced healthy diet with required modifications to treat PCOS and Insulin Resisitance symptoms. Within a period of 2 months, she was able to reduce 8kg , her medicines, ginnette was stopped and glycomet dose was reduced to just once a day. Her periods became regular. She was able to bring her PCOS and insulin levels under control and achieved her ideal body weight through a healthy life style under the supervision of Dr. Shipra Bhatnagar.
One in every ten women suffers from mild to severe form of PCOS. PCOS is a common endocrine disorder of unknown cause. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Poly means many and the word Syndrome means “A cluster of symptoms”. So, when ovaries develop many cysts in them, they are manifested by multiple symptoms. Symptoms can be mild to severe. PCOS is associated with insulin resistant and is now a leading cause of Type 2 Diabetes in young women.
Symptoms: The condition is characterized by reproductive issues such as:
Amenohrrea – absence of mensuration
Irregular menstrual periods
Anovulation – Ovaries fail to release an egg
Enlarged ovaries with multiple cysts and
Infertility
More generalized symptoms include:
Acne
Hirsutism – unwanted male pattern hair growth
Male pattern baldness
Obesity and
Sleep apnea
Biochemical abnormalities includes:
Hyperandrogenism – high level of male hormones
Hyperinsulinimia – high level of insulin
Impaired glucose tolerance &
Hyperlipidemia – high cholesterol levels
Treatment: Though medicines are prescribed to obtain relief from symptoms and to bring condition under control, but underlying reason needs to be addressed. Conventional treatment of PCOS includes a “Low Glycemic Index” diet & exercise to promote weight loss.
Weight loss helps in
Improving insulin resisitance
Decreasing androgen levels
Decreasing Hirsutism
Restoring ovulation
Improving menstrual regularity
Improving emotional scores and
Decreasing markers of inflmmation.
A careful understanding of the condition and appropriate intervention with “Low GI Diet” and regular exercise is required under specialized supervision. Alongwith this a regular monitoring and fine tuning of dietary modifications is required to match the patients food habits and the desired outcome. Patient also needs motivational support and assurance by regular monitoring of her progress.