Q: I have been diagnosed as having polycystic ovary syndrome. My symptoms were irregular periods. My hormonal profile also showed similarity to PCOS. I am also hypothyroid; euthyroid state maintained by thyronorm 125ug. I am on Lovette for the past 10 months, hence having regular menstrual cycles. I have not gained weight but still have acne. Can you suggest what all I need to do to prevent becoming diabetic? I do have a genetic background of diabetic people in family (mother, maternal grand father, paternal grand father and aunts). How long should I be on these oral contraceptive pills (OCP)?

A:PCOS is the commonest condition which affects women. It is so common that it cannot logically be called a disease or a disorder. In fact it is not a disease but a very wide spectrum of conditions and one does not know what part of spectrum you fall in... Are you married/infertile? What is your age? Are you overweight? Do you have regular cycles without pills?? In other words do you ovulate regularly? No! ultrasound is the gold standard for diagnosis apart from the hormonal profile and symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis postmenstrual ultrasound examination of the ovary should be done postmenstrually with a vaginal probe and many follicles forming a ring (more than 10-15 in each ovary) suggests PCOS. What you can do to avoid diabetes is to keep the weight down by regular exercise and a low calorie diet. Women suffering from the most severe form of PCOS who are obese are at increased risk of developing diabetes and may need additional treatment. The increased risks caused by their weight may mean that they may not be able take the combined oral contraceptive pill. Endocrinologists have been using a drug called metformin, which is an anti-diabetic agent, to good effect. Reduction of weight helps all the symptoms of PCOS and is an important objective in treatment, but weight loss may be more difficult for women suffering from the severest form. If acne is your major problem you can take a pill with Cyproterone acetate. Whether treatment is warranted depends on the severity of symptoms, in which there is wide variation. Taking the combined oral contraceptive pill will help women who present with troublesome acne and irregular periods. This reduces the amount of circulating androgens (male hormones) and regulates the periods. One pill in particular helps with acne and hirsutism. It contains a drug called cyproterone acetate which it is a particularly potent anti-androgen. You should be taking OCP if you are not planning a baby... almost till menopause in one form or another if you are not overweight and not a smoker you can take OCP (oral contraceptive pills) upto your 40s.