Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome essays

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome essays I. A. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was originally described in 1905 by Stein and Leventhal as a syndrome consisting of amenorrhea, hirsutism, and obesity in association with enlarged polycystic ovaries. It is now realized that this relatively common syndrome is an extremely heterogenous clinical syndrome that begins soon after menarche and some authors prefer to refer to it as a syndrome of hyperandrogenic chronic anovulation. In fact, earlier studies of PCOS have focused on ovarian morphological findings and were considered to be important diagnostic criteria. However, it was found that polycystic changes of the ovaries were observed in some normally cycling women. Furthermore, polycystic changes of the ovaries were shown to be associated with other well-defined diseases such as Cushing's syndrome, and an ovarian or adrenal tumor capable of producing androgen. B. The root of PCOS is an inability to respond properly to insulin, the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows your body's cells to absorb energy from the food you eat. This means your cells don't respond to the normal amount of insulin, so the pancreas pumps out even more. That's what insulin resistance is and it happens when the body turns carbohydrates, both simple and complex, into glucose that surges into the bloodstream. Insulin travels to the muscle cells, telling them to take glucose from the bloodstream and store it in the liver. As insulin levels in the blood increase, glucose levels in the blood decrease. When blood glucose falls below a certain level, the brain, which needs glucose to function, calls out for more by telling you to eat again. If it doesn't get glucose, the result is drowsiness or lack of mental alertness. This glucose shortage is also known as low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. When hypoglycemia strikes, the liver is unable to replenish blood glucose from its stored supply because eating a carbohydrate-rich meal or drinking a sugary bevera...