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]
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)