"Insulin Resistance
A big part of the problem is insulin resistance which is is the hallmark condition of our modern age, affecting 1 in 4 adults. Insulin resistance is the result of too much sugar (concentrated fructose) in our diet, as well as smoking, obesity, trans fat, stress, and environmental toxins. Untreated, insulin resistance can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Insulin resistance is estimated to affect between 50-70% of PCOS-sufferers, and is generally understood to be a major contributing cause of the condition . Excess insulin causes PCOS because it impairs ovulation and stimulates the ovaries to make testosterone instead of estrogen.
We have an epidemic of insulin resistance, so it makes sense that we also have an epidemic of PCOS. Except that not all PCOS sufferers have insulin resistance, so what else is going on?
Misdiagnosis by Ultrasound
Proper diagnosis of PCOS requires clinical evidence such as irregular periods, combined with a blood test that shows high androgens. There may or may not also be the ultrasound finding of polycystic ovaries, but that finding alone cannot be used to diagnose PCOS. Why? Because polycystic ovaries occur in up to 25% of normal women, and also in many women on on the birth control pill
Fortunately, there are calls to rename the condition, and to re-educate doctors about the relevance of the polycystic finding. ...
Post-Pill Syndrome
There is one more reason for the increasing incidence of PCOS: The Birth Control Pill. In my clinic, I speak to so many women who simply cannot get their periods going again after stopping the Pill. Some of them did not have regular periods before taking the Pill, so, in their case, stopping the Pill has merely unmasked a preexisting problem. Then there are the women who did have regular periods before the Pill, but now they’re gone. For these women, the Pill seems to be a clear cause of PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhea."
See entire article @ Hormones Matter