Doctor explains why women with PCOS are at risk of diabetes, weight gain

Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr Padi Aryetey, has said that women with the reproductive disorder, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and experiencing weight gain.

According to him, the major cause of these two common side effects is as a result of insulin resistance from the body’s cells. Thus, there are high levels of insulin produced by the pancreas, which is not used effectively by the body.

Speaking to host Frema Asiedu on the Vodafone Healthline show, Dr Aryetey explained “The sugar we take enters the bloodstream which is then absorbed by the cells for energy with the help of insulin. In the cells, the sugar is converted into energy because we work with it and the excess is stored as glycogen or fats. For some people, the mechanism that moves it from sugar in the cells to glycogen is faulty, and this is genetically inherited. The problem is that they cannot convert glucose along that pathway. Once you cannot convert it along that pathway, the excess sugar is converted to fats, and that is why they [women with PCOS] have difficulty losing weight.”

He stressed that excess sugar which is not converted into fat stays in the bloodstream and cannot enter the cells. Thus, more insulin is pumped up to force the sugar into the cells.

“The high insulin in your system also calls for more sugar for your system. Eventually, the insulin factory will get tired and then sugar in your system goes up, which is then diagnosed as type 2 diabetes,” he added.

Dr Aryetey also educated viewers on the symptoms of PCOS, stating irregular menses, male pattern baldness, infertility, low sex drive, ovarian cysts, higher male level hormones, insulin resistance, pimples, and weight gain, among other factors, are common symptoms of PCOS.

However, Dr Aryetey assured viewers that, due to medical advances, it is possible to correct this disorder with drugs.

Vodafone Healthline is Vodafone Ghana’s flagship corporate social investment project that gives all members of the society equal access to relevant and credible health information.