%0 Journal Article
%T Polycystic ovary syndrome: a complex condition with psychological, reproductive and metabolic manifestations that impacts on health across the lifespan
%A H Teede
%A A Deeks
%A L Moran
%J BMC Medicine
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1741-7015-8-41
%X Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a frustrating experience for women, often complex for managing clinicians and is a scientific challenge for researchers. As research in PCOS is rapidly advancing, it is vital that research evidence is translated to knowledge and action among women, healthcare professionals and policy makers. PCOS is the most common endocrine abnormality in reproductive-age women. The prevalence of PCOS is traditionally estimated at 4% to 8% from studies performed in Greece, Spain and the USA [1-4]. The prevalence of PCOS has increased with the use of different diagnostic criteria and has recently been shown to be 18% (17.8 ¡À 2.8%) in the first community-based prevalence study based on current Rotterdam diagnostic criteria [5]. Importantly, 70% of women in this recent study were undiagnosed [5]. While the upper limit of prevalence for this study was imputed using estimates of polycystic ovaries (PCO) for women who had not had an ultrasound, non-imputed prevalences were calculated as 11.9 ¡À 2.4% [5]. PCOS has also been noted to affect 28% of unselected obese and 5% of lean women [5-8]. In 2006, based on US data and traditionally lower prevalence estimates the anticipated economic burden of PCOS in Australia was AU$400 million (menstrual dysfunction 31%, infertility 12% and PCOS-associated diabetes 40% of total costs), representing a major health and economic burden [8]. With regards to fertility, the estimated cost per birth in overweight Australian women with PCOS is high [9]. Promisingly, lifestyle intervention comprising dietary, exercise and behavioural therapy improves fertility and reduces costs per birth significantly [9].The exact pathophysiology of PCOS is complex and remains largely unclear. Although a detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this review, the underlying hormonal imbalance created by a combination of increased androgens and/or insulin underpin PCOS (Figure 1). Genetic and environmental contributors to hormonal disturbance
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/8/41