Fertility Road Magazine 46 - September/October 2018

FERTILITY 360
Cancer
A very small number of PCOS women who have
significantly fewer periods per year than normal
are at risk of developing endometrial cancer due
to the womb lining remaining thicker. There
are means of reducing the risk which involve
hormones and depends whether the woman is
trying to conceive or not.
Hypertension
PCOS women are more prone to raised blood
pressure which may be linked to obesity and
insulin resistance.
Snoring and drowsiness
There appears to a link between PCOS and snoring
leading to tiredness and drowsiness.
What can be done to reduce
the long-term consequences
of PCOS?
Diet and Weight loss
A healthy lifestyle is important to help reduce the
symptoms of PCOS. First of all, a healthy balanced
diet is strongly advised. This should include
plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole food
e.g. wholemeal bread, brown rice and whole grain
cereals, lean meat, fish and chicken. Consume less
carbohydrates and salt, avoid alcohol and exercise
regularly.
If you are overweight it is advisable to lose weight.
The benefits of losing weight are:
• Lower risk of developing diabetes and insulin
resistance
• Lower risk of heart problems
• Lower risk of cancer of the womb
• Improving your fertility and the chance of
pregnancy
• Improve regularity of your periods
• Improve skin condition with less acne and
hirsutism
• Less depression and mood swings
It is important to note that losing a small amount
of weight can make a significant difference to the
symptoms of PCOS and at the same time make
you healthier.
Regular health checks
Make sure you have your blood pressure and blood
sugar checked by your GP regularly, at least once
a year especially if you are overweight and have a
family history of diabetes.
How to get pregnant
with PCOS?
Most women with the milder form of PCOS do
conceive naturally, though in general, it takes them
longer to do so than average. On the other hand,
women with the moderate to severe form of PCOS
will have more difficulty conceiving naturally and
often require help from fertility specialists. They
have what is termed “ovulatory disorders.”
For women with ovulatory disorders, the first
line treatment is trying fertility tablets such as
clomifene citrate which stimulates ovulation
although the tablets themselves can reduce
conception as they adversely affect the womb
lining (endometrium) where embryos implant.
This is why there is no benefit in taking fertility
tablets if a woman is already ovulating on her own.
An alternative is to use fertility injections which are
more powerful and works differently to the tablets
in that they do not affect the womb lining. There
is, however, a higher risk of multiple births and
requires ultrasound monitoring to reduce the risk.
Another option is In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
should the above be unsuccessful. Whereas women
with PCOS have a problem conceiving naturally,
their chance of being successful through IVF is the
same as other women without PCOS.
It is pertinent to note that because women with
PCOS have more follicles than normal, there
is a tendency to produce more eggs during
IVF leading to a condition known as Ovarian
Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS).
Our fertility experts at Herts & Essex Fertility
Centre have devised a protocol to treat PCOS
patients with a special trigger to ripen the eggs.
This is designed to reduce many times the risk of
OHSS in patients with too many eggs, as opposed
to the standard trigger which itself initiates the
whole process of OHSS in those particular women.
Finally, is there a cure
for PCOS?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS.
Medical treatments are aimed to manage and
reduce the symptoms or consequences of having
PCOS. Medication alone has not been shown
to be any better than healthy lifestyle changes
(weight loss and exercise). Many women with PCOS
successfully manage their symptoms and longterm
health risks without medical intervention.
They do this by eating a healthy diet, exercising
regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
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