Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS affects up to ten per cent of women, although many don't realise they have it. It can cause problems ranging from weight gain to excess body hair to infertility. Typical symptoms include:
• Irregular periods
• Pain from cysts on the ovaries
• Infertility
• High blood pressure
• Acne
• Central obesity (putting on weight around your middle)
• Male-pattern baldness
• Hirsutism (excessive body hair)

Currently, women with PCOS are usually given treatments relevant to their particular symptoms. These include:
• Menstrual disturbance - oral contraceptives regulate periods and reduce levels of free androgens (male hormones) in the blood, so reducing hirsutism, but can make insulin problems worse
• Fertility problems - clomiphene (stimulates development of eggs or follicles in the ovaries); gonadotrophin drugs (stimulate follicle production); ovarian diathermy or laser treatment; assisted conception techniques
• Hirsutism and acne - anti-androgen drugs; cyproterone acetate and ethinyloestradiol; spironolactone, and androgen-blocking drugs, such as finasteride; cosmetic treatments such as electrolysis and laser hair removal
• Metabolic problems and risk of coronary heart disease - metformin, used to treat diabetes, can make cells more sensitive to insulin and improve uptake of sugar, reducing insulin production; also reduces male hormone production and may return periods to normal, as well as helping with weight loss


Weight loss through lifestyle changes is often difficult for women with PCOS, but keeping body mass index (BMI) within the normal limits of 19 to 25 can help to control blood sugar levels and insulin production

[randalljd]

interesting though not sure where the legal issue is here...