Polycystic ovary syndrome also known as PCOD or PCOS is a prevalent condition found in 6-10 per cent of the women in developed countries. It is a familial polygenic condition thought to be attributed to both genetic and environmental factors . There has been much debate about the origin and pathological cause of PCOS in the past decade. Many studies indicate that a defect in insulin action may be the primary cause of PCOS .
Environmental factors have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. There have been several studies observing the role of socio-economic status (SES) and unhealthy behaviour, including smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. One of the most common associations with low SES is obesity, which also has a high rate of co-morbidity in PCOS.
Dr Bandana Sodhi an Obstetrician-gynaecologist said: “PCOS has become a very common lifestyle disease among women in India five out of 10 women are affected with this lifestyle disease. There is as such no cure for this disease the infertility can be treated with infertility drugs but this can cause an early miscarriage some common reason for this disease is obesity, high level of insulin and in some cases genetics also play a role in this disease. This with even modernised technology and new medicine cannot be fully treated but can be prevented with bringing changes in the lifestyle and taking timely medicine for regular mensuration.”