PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is the most common hormonal disorder of women of reproductive age, and is the subject of my first book, “The PCOS Diet Plan: A Natural Approach to Health for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.”
Like prediabetes, an underlying thread in most cases of PCOS is insulin resistance. Although PCOS is most commonly diagnosed during the reproductive years, it carries with it a lifelong increased risk of diabetes. For this reason, all women with PCOS should be screened regularly for prediabetes/diabetes. A good habit to get into is having a fasting blood glucose test annually along with the other labs that are often drawn at the time of your annual physical. A fasting glucose (having eaten nothing for eight to ten hours prior to the blood draw) should be 99 mg/dl or below to be considered normal. If it’s 100-125 mg/dl it’s considered prediabetes, and over 126 mg/dl is considered diagnostic for diabetes. Even with a normal test, however, anyone with risk factors for prediabetes or PCOS should assume they may have some insulin resistance and manage their diet and lifestyle accordingly, as the numbers don’t start bumping up until one has likely been insulin resistant for years. Fortunately, whether one’s risk for diabetes stems from a diagnosis of PCOS, being overweight, or having a family history of diabetes, insulin resistance is very responsive to changes in diet and lifestyle.
That’s what my books are about. Never heard of PCOS? the most common symptoms are irregular periods and signs of excess hair growth on the face, chest or back. Read more here: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-beyond-the-basics