Does Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) put women at risk for other conditions?
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, women with PCOS can be at an increased risk for developing several other conditions. Irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation can cause women to produce the hormone estrogen, but not the hormone progesterone.
Without progesterone, which causes the endometrium to shed each month as a menstrual period, the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding. Eventually, this can lead to endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. Women with PCOS are also known to be at a higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Getting the symptoms under control at an earlier age may help to reduce this risk.