Chances are good that you know someone who’s affected by polycystic ovarian syndrome – commonly known as PCOS. It’s estimated that the syndrome affects 1 in 5 women around the world, and it’s one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
But some good news for PCOS sufferers was announced this week as researchers at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research reported that the cause of the syndrome may have been discovered at last: fetal exposure to an excess of anti-Mullerian hormone in utero.
From Newscientist.com:
“[The scientists] injected excess anti-Müllerian hormone into pregnant mice. As their female offspring grew up, they displayed many of the hallmarks of polycystic ovary syndrome, including later puberty, infrequent ovulation, delays in falling pregnant, and fewer offspring. The excess hormone seemed to trigger this effect by overstimulating a set of brain cells that raise the level of testosterone.
The team were able to reverse this effect in the mice using cetrorelix, an IVF drug routinely used to control women’s hormones. After treatment with this drug, the mice stopped showing symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome.
The team is now planning a clinical trial of cetrorelix in women with the condition, which they hope to start before the end of the year. “It could be an attractive strategy to restore ovulation and eventually increase the pregnancy rate in these women,” says Giacobini.”
While this news is exciting, it isn’t totally unexpected for Natural Procreative Technology (NaPro Technology) physicians, who have long suspected that PCOS is caused by a hormonal imbalance, and have worked to address the root causes of the issue by treating it as such. While the majority of mainstream healthcare providers have long offered little but the birth control pill to counteract the side effects of PCOS, the news from France this week offers hope to millions of women around the world who want a cure for this serious condition – and not just a temporary band-aid solution like the Pill.
One thing is certain: it is wonderful to see PCOS finally receiving the attention that it deserves, and to see the researchers working on the disease finally making progress on what may be a real cure. Hopefully one day millions of women around the world and those who love them will benefit from the work of the French researchers announced this week.
Read more:
Infertility for a Catholic woman is an invitation
