An Epidemiological Study to Assess the Risk Factors and Symptoms of PCOS

The aim to present this study was to assess the most affected age group of girls from PCOD and to make them aware by our questionnaire in this descriptive study, 200 girls were selected randomly from hostels of MMDU, MULLANA. A questionnaire was formulated to obtain information regarding symptoms, changes, dietary patterns, etc. This data was differentiated, tabulated, and tested. The data collected shows that the majority of the respondents who participated in the survey were on the edge of PCOD.

Stein and Leventhal are regarded to have been the first investigators of polycystic ovary syndrome however, in 1721 Vallisneri, an Italian scientist; he described a married, infertile woman with shiny ovaries with a white surface, and the size of pigeon eggs. It was not until early 1990 at a national institute of Health (NIH) sponsored conference on PCOD that formal diagnostic criteria were proposed and afterward largely utilized. Many scientists tried to explain the pathophysiology of PCOS and many studies were made. It is now accepted that it is multifactorial, partly genetic, however, a number of candidate genes have been postulated. Insulin resistance has been noted consistently among many women with PCOS, especially in those with Hyperandrogenism, but it is not included in any of the diagnostic criteria. Now there is strong evidence that cardiovascular diseases risk factors and disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism are all increased in patients with PCOS compared to healthy populations. The criteria was established by a group of experts during a conference in ROTTERDAM held in 2003 are obligatory. The subsequent ROTTERDAM CRITERIA incorporated the size and morphology as determined by an ultrasound of the ovary into the diagnostic criteria. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity among children in the U.S. has tripled since 1980 due to various factors like bad eating habits, and lack of physical exercise, and many more children are getting more and more obese. Many researchers have found that PCOD findings are increasing with time. Finding insulin resistance in obese adolescents gave a different diagnosis of PCOD. Upon further clinical testing, many other symptoms are found like Hirsutism, acne, and menstrual abnormalities.

Emans (2005) described PCOS as a diagnosis related to the diagnosis of insulin resistance, not being overweight. For insulin resistance, females don't need to be overweight, they will have insulin resistance even a normal weight female adolescents also have insulin resistance.