Birth control pills can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than a quarter in women with PCOS. (PCOS) , as revealed by a study conducted by the University of Birmingham, USA, and the results of the research published in the journal Diabetes Care Also, women with PCOS have twice the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (dysglycemia), highlighting the urgent need to find treatments to reduce this risk.
According to a report by the site time now news In addition to the risk of type 2 diabetes, PCOS, which affects 10% of women worldwide, is also associated with many other long-term conditions, such as endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. .
Symptoms of PCOS include irregular menstruation, which can lead to fertility problems, lots of unwanted hair growth (known as hirsutism) on the face or body, hair loss, oily skin or acne, and these symptoms are caused by high Levels of hormones called androgens in the blood of women with PCOS.
Women with . often suffer from PCOS Due to weight gain, the cells in their bodies are often less responsive to insulin, the hormone that allows the body to absorb glucose (blood sugar) into cells for energy.
A decreased insulin response can cause blood glucose levels to rise and can cause the body to produce more insulin, which in turn causes the body to produce more androgens. Androgens increase insulin levels, which leads to a vicious cycle..
The team of scientists led by the University of Birmingham conducted two studies to determine the risk of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in women with PCOS, and secondly to investigate the effect of the use of combined oral contraceptives, often referred to as “the pill”, on the risk of diabetes. Type 2 and prediabetes In women with PCOS, birth control pills are often given to women with PCOS. PCOS To improve the regularity of menstrual bleeding.
To investigate the effect of birth control pills on type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, researchers including experts at the University of RCSI For another medical and health sciences nested case-control study of 4,814 women with PCOS, scientists found that the use of combined oral contraceptives reduced the odds of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in women with PCOS by 26%. The study is now behind to conduct a clinical trial for more evidence of their findings with the hope that it will lead to changes in global healthcare policy.
Co-author Professor Webeck Arlt, Director of the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham, said: ‘Women with PCOS have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. To show for the first time that we have a potential treatment option for combined oral contraceptives to prevent this very serious health risk.. “