This is the commonest hormonal disorder affecting women of child-bearing age. High insulin resistance is the root cause. This leads to obesity and a higher risk of diabetes, as well as a higher balance of male sex hormones in women.

How do I know that I may have PCOS?

.          Persistent weight gain or difficulty losing weight

.          Irregular or absent menstrual periods

.          Increased body hair, especially over the face and lower abdomen

.          Difficulty achieving pregnancy

Why do I need to see an endocrinologist for PCOS?

You need an experienced endocrinologist to help you ascertain the diagnosis as there are several other hormonal conditions (hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia) that may cause obesity and mimic PCOS. The team of allied professionals at Gleneagles comprising of physiotherapists, dietitians, endocrinologists and sports medicine physicians will be able to design weight loss strategies for each individual, encompassing lifestyle modification, meal replacement strategies as well as medical treatment. Treatment for PCOS may also be specifically targeted at reducing insulin resistance, enhancing fertility or at improving androgen balance. Cardiac risk may be assessed through a variety of non-invasive investigations such as stress echocardiography, CT calcium scoring or CT coronary angiography. Obese individuals deemed to be at very high risk of developing cardiovascular complications and who fulfil the criteria may opt to undergo metabolic surgery by our team of bariatric surgeons.