What's the Link Between PCOS and Diabetes? Let's Explore.

PCOS and Diabetes

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal problem that affects women and causes a distinct group of symptoms, including irregular periods and infertility. Doctors aren’t sure what causes it. But they do know that women who have PCOS have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects how the body manages blood sugar.

What’s the Link?

The causes of PCOS and type 2 diabetes are connected in ways researchers don’t completely understand.

Scientists think many things, including genes, play a role in PCOS. Several things that make a woman more likely to have PCOS also are linked to type 2 diabetes:

• Weight: Whether PCOS causes obesity, or obesity raises the risk for PCOS, isn’t clear. But the two are tied together.
• Family history: Does your mother or sister have type 2 diabetes or PCOS? That affects your odds of having PCOS, too.
• Insulin resistance: This condition means your body can’t use insulin correctly. It can run in families, but it can also happen if you’re overweight.

Stay in the Picture

You might find the thought of cancer overwhelming, and that’s OK. Your loved one probably does, too. If you don’t know what to say, that’s also OK -- they might not, either. A simple “I’m thinking of you” goes a long way, even if you don’t know what else to do. Send a card or an email. Talk about a book you read, a movie you saw, or a lunch you had with a mutual friend.

You Can Talk About Your Life

If you feel hesitant to talk about your life or send pictures of fun activities, relax. Your loved one would probably love to connect and hear about what’s going on with you. They still want a real relationship. When they hear your news and see what you’ve been up to, it gives them a break from thinking about their own situation.

Try to Be There

If you’re in the area, it’s nice to offer to go to a doctor’s appointment or treatment. This is especially true for someone who doesn’t have family nearby. Chemotherapy infusions take hours, and often people aren’t supposed to drive home afterward. You can offer to help with transportation, visit during the infusion, or both.

Should I Get Tested?

If you have PCOS, your doctor should check you regularly for signs of type 2 diabetes, including monitoring your weight and blood sugar levels.

As you get older, though, your risk for diabetes becomes more in line with the risk for other women your age. Later in life, you and your doctor may not have to watch so closely for type 2.

At any age, you’ll want to watch for common symptoms of diabetes, such as:

• Thirst
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Peeing more
• Feeling hungrier than usual
• Tingling or pain in your hands or feet
• Bruises and cuts that heal slowly
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Can Medicine Help?

Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called metformin. It’s a common diabetes medicine, but some doctors use it to treat PCOS as well.

Metformin helps your body use insulin and lowers your blood sugar. It may also help you lose weight. It can help with PCOS symptoms such as irregular ovulation.

What About Other Types of Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1, in which the body doesn’t make insulin or makes very little. People are usually diagnosed with type 1 when they’re young, often as children or teens.

The link between type 1 and PCOS is clearer than with type 2 -- type 1 seems to raise a woman’s risk for PCOS. About 1 in 4 women with type 1 will get PCOS at some point. If you have type 1 diabetes, you may want to ask your doctor about screening for PCOS symptoms.



Women with PCOS can also get gestational diabetes during pregnancy. This condition makes your pregnancy more dangerous for you and your baby. It also can lead to type 2 diabetes later life for you and your child. If you have PCOS, your doctor will watch you closely for signs of gestational diabetes while you’re pregnant.