You would think signs of a moustache and male pattern baldness in a woman in her forties might tip off her doctor that something’s up.
You’d also think a condition that affects an estimated 1.4 million Canadian women – one that can lead to infertility, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, whose risk of these complications skyrockets in the middle age – would be tracked by statistics Canada. And you’d expect guidelines to its diagnosis and treatment would have been set out decades ago by our gynecological society. But you’d be wrong.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologist of Canada is only in the early stages of drafting such guidelines for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – a condition where a woman’s body produces excessive amounts of the masculinizing hormone androgen, has irregular periods and develops multiple fluid-filled cysts in her ovaries. Some doctors simply regard red flags as unfortunate and embarrassing legacies from some aunt, not symptoms of a potentially life-threatening condition. The problem is, so do their parents.
“In most cases, woman attribute the symptoms of PCOS to family genes, stress poor diet,“ says Mitchell Chasin, a cosmetic laser surgeon and medical director of three cosmetic clinics in New Jersey. “They think their acne and weight gain are due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise, and the excess hair is a gift from their mother or father,” he says.
Many doctors, however, seldom get a chance to see telltale symptoms, as women are far more likely to rush to their nearest cosmetic clinic or spa to be electrolyzed, lasered or waxed then hurry to their GP. Increasingly, it’s dermatologists and other docs in these cosmetic practices on the front line of diagnosis for this poorly understood and under-diagnosed condition.
“I see about two or three woman a week with PCOS. Its huge,” says Toronto dermatologist Lisa Kellett. “I know them as soon as I see them. Because I’m a specialist [rather than a GP], it’s one of the things we screen for,” says Kellett, who promptly sends patients for a pelvic ultrasound if she suspects the condition. “With medication, healthy eating and exercise, we can improve their chances of getting pregnant and reduce their risks for heart disease and stroke,” adds Chasin, “as well as give them a face clear of acne and facial hair for the first time in many womens lives.”
Lets hope GPs step up and start doing as good a job diagnosing PCOS as the folks at the local dermabrasion or nip’n’ tuck joint.
Do you have PCOS?
Symptoms vary from person to person, in both type and severity. See your doctor if you are experiencing some of the following:
- INFREQUENT PERIODS
- RECEDING HAIRLINE
- EXCESS FACIAL AND BODY HAIR
- ACNE
