Happy Spring, and welcome to another PCOS news roundup! Here are some of the latest PCOS and women’s health-related news developments.

New PCOS Studies/Insights

Anti-Müllerian Hormone May Contribute to Infertility in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (via Weill Cornell Medicine)

This study has been making the rounds lately in the PCOS world. I’ve heard mention of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) before, but didn’t know much about it or its role in PCOS–and apparently scientists didn’t think it was that important either. But this recent study by Weill Cornell shows that it might have a much bigger role in infertility/ovulation issues than previously thought.

While just a preliminary study, the results suggest “that AMH may cause follicles, the multicellular, fluid-filled sacs that contain developing eggs in the ovary, to mature too quickly”–which prevents/disrupts the normal fertility process.

What I love most about this study is that the isolation of AMH has made researchers realize that “’A better understanding of the root causes of PCOS is critical to mitigating the condition’s many health consequences.’”

YES!!! This is what I love to hear.

via GIPHY

As anyone with PCOS knows, it is such a complex web of hormonal issues that seems impossible to get to the bottom of (sort of like a game of Whac-A-Mole), so studies like this, however small, provide such important insights into how this headache of a condition works–so that maybe one day we can have treatments that deal with it more holistically, not just for fertility or weight issues or hair growth. I look forward to seeing more studies like this in the future!

Genetic risk factors for PCOS act independently of ovarian function (via Boston Children’s Hospital)

I’m glad that this short piece is on a site about children’s health–the more early awareness/detection we have of PCOS, the better off those who are diagnosed will be.

The study goes into my favorite topic, “male PCOS,” which I am still very skeptical of as being a thing, but its discussion of genetic factors in both men and women did get me thinking. While I’m still not convinced that just because women and men in a family both have risk for cardiometabolic conditions, alopecia, etc. means both have their own forms of PCOS, I do accept the possibility that PCOS is genetic and can be passed down by both males and females.

Most importantly, and regardless of my feelings on the issue, is getting kids at risk of the disorder (or already experiencing symptoms) preemptively diagnosed/put on treatment as early as possible, though careful attention in each case is important. Genetics can provide a fuller picture of the condition instead of targeting specific symptoms, so I’m all in favor of that!

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have reduced melatonin concentrations in their follicles and have mild sleep disturbances (via BMC Women’s Health)

This is something that I feel definitely applies to me and I’m sure to many others with PCOS too: sleep issues. Insomnia, weird circadian rhythms, feeling more awake at night than during the day–just one of the many fun features of PCOS!

This study may provide the beginnings of an explanation which makes a lot of sense: that women with PCOS have less melatonin (aka the sleep hormone) in their ovaries/follicles, which results in sleep issues. It shows yet another dimension of how PCOS really affects just about every system in the body, and how all these hormones’ functions are so interrelated–further proving that any treatment needs to be holistic, as one thing affects all the others.

On one hand, studies like this reassure me that various issues I run into are really from PCOS (even though it always feels like an excuse), but it also stinks because it shows just how much maintenance PCOS requires. But it does help me to be healthier overall, so there’s a silver lining I guess.

It’s so exhausting, though.

via GIPHY

PCOS Social Issues

People with endometriosis and PCOS wait years for a diagnosis – attitudes to women’s pain may be to blame (via The Conversation)

This is another one of those that falls under “well, duh”…but maybe that’s exactly the point, and why even the most seemingly obvious things need to be said over and over until they finally sink in for people.

Just about everyone with PCOS (or other conditions like endometriosis) has a frustrating story about how long it took to just know what they had, or being dismissed by doctors, etc. (like my favorite episode of Golden Girls)

While these conditions are undeniably complex, most of the issue is in the longstanding culture of normalizing women’s pain, which leads them to not seek help when they really need it. This is even more exacerbated for women of color, particularly Black women, who have been dismissed/belittled in the medical system even more than white women.

The short piece ends with the unfortunate but true conclusion that until real systemic change is made, women will have to continue advocating for themselves to get the care they need–which I definitely agree with and support (and have done myself), but that’s just the beginning. While things have improved over the decades, they are still far from perfect, and likely won’t be in our lifetimes. So projects like this blog are a small way of helping make that change happen.

and finally…

5 Myths About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) (via Penn Medicine)

This is not a new story, but I wanted to include it because it’s a real pet peeve of mine every time I see “news” stories that blame PCOS on girls/women being overweight/obese. While weight is certainly directly related to PCOS, the relationship is more complicated than is often presented–it’s really more of a chicken-and-egg issue, and it’s really irresponsible to just place the blame on the woman alone for having this complex condition (see story above!!!). There are many reasons why someone can have it, many of which are out of her control. While losing weight can help, it doesn’t solve everything–plus, there are many women with lean PCOS, who are not overweight/obese at all. So again, it’s really complicated.

So this really just serves as a reminder to be really careful with language around medical issues like PCOS–you never know who you may be affecting with it.

What PCOS/women’s health news are you reading lately? Add yours below!

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and do not claim to offer medical advice in these posts. These are meant to be informational only. Please consult further with your doctor for specific advice and treatment plans.

Image by Nick Morrison on Unsplash