What causes PCOS?

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•Last Updated: October 25, 2023

A combination of environmental and genetic factors have been proposed to increase a person’s predisposition towards developing PCOS.^[1]

High androgen levels seem to be the main cause of the clinical features of PCOS, including infertility, hirsutism, hair loss, and acne.^[1] Also, about half of the women with PCOS have abnormal insulin resistance and subsequent hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels) which contribute to the metabolic manifestations of PCOS.^[2]

Last Updated:October 25, 2023

References

^Héctor F Escobar-MorrealePolycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatmentNat Rev Endocrinol.(2018 May)
^Rosenfield RL, Ehrmann DAThe Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The Hypothesis of PCOS as Functional Ovarian Hyperandrogenism Revisited.Endocr Rev.(2016-10)