EXPERTS ALERT THAT POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME MIGHT LEAD TO DIABETES


On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, CREA suggests diabetic women to see an endo-crinologist before recurring to assisted reproduction.

• Metformin is one of the most effective treatment to recover fertility against diabetes 

Valencia. 09.11.15 Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), hormone alteration that implies reproductive difficulty, also adds the risk of developing diabetes in the long-term that might affect up to 10% of the cases, whereas previous stages as impaired glucose tolerance are detected in a 30% of women with PCOS. It is pointed out by Dr. Martín Díaz, gynaecologist at CREA (Assisted Reproduction Medical Centre in Valencia), on the occasion of World Diabetes Day that will take place tomorrow. 

PCOS, considered the most frequent endocrine pathology in women (it might affect one out of three women), has the metformin as one of the most effective treatments to recover fertility against diabetes. This fact makes more and more frequent that before performing an assisted reproduction treatment, many women are referred to an endocrinologist for special evaluation. 

Doctor Martín Díaz points out that “not only if the woman is diabetic but also if she has been diagnosed with PCOS, when pregnancy is not achieved in the first six months, it’s highly recommended to go to an assisted reproduction clinic”, although he insists that she will previously need to see an endocrinologist “to optimize the stage of metabolic control” as well as arranging a pre-conceptional consultation with the gynaecologist for an early control and for the adoption of measures as the intake of folic acid in higher doses to prevent complications. 

Thanks to current antidiabetic treatments, gestation is not recommended to those diabetic women with glycosylated hemoglobin higher than 7%, ischemic cardiomyopathy, severe kidney failure including arterial hypertension of difficult control and severe retinopathy or neuropathy. “Situations that luckily occur in extremely rare occasions in women candidates to assisted reproduction treatments” as the majority of diabetic patients, Dr. Díaz stresses out, barely present systemic repercussion, apart from some exceptions, the majority can carry a pregnancy with total normality. 

As for the diabetes’ repercussion on reproductive field, these women have slightly de-creased fertility rates and slightly increased risk of miscarriage, obstetric dystocia, big foe-tus and fetal malformations, however “assisted reproduction techniques’ results are pretty equivalent to the ones of not diabetic people, as long as treatment is customized for this pathology”, aspect that is provided of special importance by CREA on its commitment for quality care and for treatment’s customization to achieve always the best results.