Taking the contraceptive pill could protect women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) against type 2 diabetes, according to a study from the University of Birmingham (England), which for the first time has revealed an association between this type of contraceptive medication and diabetes.
10% of women in the world have polycystic ovary syndrome and it is a group that has twice the risk of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
The research, which has been published in the journal Diabetes Care, explains that 10% of women in the world suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, and that this is a group that is twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
However, after analyzing 4,814 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, they discovered that birth control pills could reduce the chances of developing this disease by up to 26% in women with polycystic ovaries, which are characterized by irregular or absent periods (amenorrhea). , fertility problems, hirsutism, acne or oily skin, among others. These PCOS symptoms are due to high levels of hormones called androgens in the blood.
Women with PCOS also often have problems with weight control and have a reduced response to insulin – the hormone that allows the body to absorb glucose (blood sugar) into cells for energy. This reduced response to insulin can lead to high blood glucose levels and cause the body to make more insulin, which increases androgen production. However, androgens further increase insulin levels, causing a vicious cycle.
Diabetes and PCOS, it is not only a problem of women with obesity
“We hypothesize that the pill reduces the risk of diabetes by attenuating the action of androgens. The pill contains estrogens that increase a protein in the blood called sex hormone binding globin (SHBG). SHBG binds to androgens and thus renders them inactive. So if you take the pill, SHBG goes up. This decreases the amount of free active androgens, which reduces their impact on insulin and diabetes risk,” explains Dr. Michael O’Reilly, lead author of the study.
The authors have highlighted that although it is believed that diabetes problems in women with PCOS only occur in the case of obesity, it has been observed that those of normal weight also have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, so in Rather than obesity alone, PCOS-specific factors, including androgen excess, cause increased metabolic risk.
.
