Are there two different types of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

PCOS latest research
on Thu 9 Jul

 

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age with varying signs and symptoms. The suggestion is that there may be different sub types of women with PCOS so establishing differing genetic mechanisms could result in improved diagnosis and treatment.

 

A recent study in women with PCOS by endocrinologists from Chicago and New York has suggested at least two different sub types.

 

It has long been known that there is a strong inherited susceptibility to this  disorder so the study looked at the DNA of women of European ancestry by clustering clinical, biochemical and genotype data from a previously published PCOS genome wide study called GWAS.  In the first stage this involved 984 unrelated PCOS cases and 2,964 women with normal reproductive systems as control . In the second stage this involved 1799 PCOS cases and 1231 women as control.

 

All PCOS patients were aged between 13 and 45 and presented with 8 or less periods annually. Other disorders of the ovaries, adrenal gland, the pituitary gland were excluded. They had all stopped contraceptive steroids two or three months before research began.

 

Researchers categorised them according to their body mass index (BMI); glucose level, insulin level and reproductive hormones including androgens and analysis revealed two genetic PCOS subtypes – i.e. running in families.

 

 

About the Subtypes

 

About 37% were found to display traits ascribed to the metabolic group. These women had

  • higher levels of blood glucose and insulin
  • lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and luteinizing hormone (LH)

 

About 23% displayed traits ascribed to the reproductive group. These women had

  • higher levels of LH and SHGB
  • lower BMI, blood glucose and insulin levels

 

The remaining 40% had a greater frequency of gene variants associated with PCOS and no clear combination of traits.

 

What this means

 

These results suggest that there are distinct forms of PCOS that are associated with different underlying biological mechanisms. Women with PCOS should not be labelled under a single diagnosis because the different PCOS sub types may differ in responses to therapy and long-term health outcomes. This leads to the possibility of personalised and more effective treatment.

 

I hope this has been helpful.

 

If you would like to read about this in more detail the peer reviewed article which was published on June 23rd is here 

 

If you would like to read other blog posts on PCOS please click here 

 

 

 

Although every effort is made to ensure that all health advice on this website is accurate and up to date it is for information purposes and should not replace a visit to your doctor or health care professional.

 

As the advice is general in nature rather than specific to individuals Dr Vanderpump cannot accept any liability for actions arising from its use nor can he be held responsible for the content of any pages referenced by an external link

 

Tags

acanthosis nigricans Acromegaly Addison's disease adolescent diabetes problems adolescent thyroid problems Adrenal crisis adrenal fatigue Adrenal glands Anovulation artificial pancreas Autoimmune Thyroiditis Bariatric Surgery blood glucose levels blood pressure breastfeeding CAH Charcot foot cholesterol CHT coffee cold and flu medications Conception Congenital adrenal hyperplasia congenital hypothyroidism Consultant Endocrinologist London coronavirus cortisol covid-19 Cushing's disease Cushing's syndrome Depression Diabetes diabetes and bone health diabetes and heart health diabetes and oral health diabetes and parkinsons diabetes and sexual dysfunction diabetes and skin conditions diabetes and thrush diabetes in China diabetes insipidus diabetes latest diabetic ketoacidosis diabetic neuropathy Diabetic prevalence diabetic retinopathy diet for diabetes diet for obesity Disability Act Down's Syndrome Dr Mark Vanderpump e-consulting endocrine system fertility folic acid Freestyle Libre frozen shoulder and thyroid Fruit sugars gestational diabetes Gigantism Glucose Monitoring Glucose Tolerance Test gluten free Goitre Graves Disease Graves Orbitopathy guthrie test hair loss Hashimoto's Disease healthcare services hearing loss Heart Disease heel prick test Hepatitis C Hormones - most important how to lose weight hyperparathyroidism Hypersecretion Hyperthyroidism hyperthyroidism and respiratory problems Hypocalcaemia Hypogonadism hypoparathyroidism hypophysitis Hyposecretion Hypothyroidism hypothyroidism and respiratory problems IFG IGT immunotherapy side effects Impaired Fasting Glucose Impaired Glucose Tolerance Insulin Resistance Iodine IR iron Labour and birth late onset hypogonadism Levothyroxine Long Covid losing weight Low testosterone Mark Vanderpump MEN1 MEN2 menopause metabolic syndrome mood changes morning sickness Multiple endocrine neoplasia neuroendocrine tumour neuropathy Obesity obstructive sleep apnoea older patients online doctor OSA Osteoporosis overactive thyroid ozempic Pancreas Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic Diabetes parathyroid glands Patient Resources Patient Support Groups PCOS PCOS and acne PCOS and fertility PCOS and Insulin PCOS diet Phaeochromocytomas Pituitary Gland POF Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Post menopause thyroid problem Post pregnancy thyroid problem postnatal diabetes medication postnatal thyroid medication Prader-Willi Syndrome pre-eclampsia prediabetes pregnancy Pregnancy and Diabetes Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease Premature Ovarian Failure prolactinomas PTH puberty Radioactive Iodine RAI resistant hypertension semaglutide Sheehan's Syndrome Skin tags sleep and diabetes sleep and obesity soy Soya steroid dependent subacute thyroiditis T4 Tara Palmer Tomkinson testosterone Tetany The endocrine system Thyroid thyroid and menstruation thyroid cancer Thyroid disease in children thyroid nodules Thyroid Storm thyroid tests Thyroiditis Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis Thyroxine TSH levels TSH Testing tumours Type 1 diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Type 3 diabetes underactive thyroid Vitamin B complex Vitamin D Waist circumference weight gain weightloss

Please get in touch

Phone: 07565 978310