The Role of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Reproductive and Metabolic Health: Overview and Approaches for Treatment

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition with a range of reproductive and metabolic features that affects 4–18% of reproductive-age women, depending on the diagnostic criteria used (1,2). PCOS typically involves hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and metabolic abnormalities, which significantly increase the risk of infertility, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3) and affect quality of life (4). Women with PCOS suffer from greater body dissatisfaction and are also at increased risk of mood, generalized anxiety, and eating disorders (2,5,6). Despite its prevalence and implications for reproductive, metabolic, and psychological health, PCOS is underdiagnosed, in part because of the diversity of phenotypes manifested by this condition.