
May 15, 2002
Other Illnesses
Question from Denmark:
Can woman with type 1 diabetes get PCOS? I know it’s normally linked with type 2, however, things happen. If I am concerned about having PCOS, what tests should I ask to have done?
Answer:
A woman with type 1 diabetes can get Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) not because of her diabetes (as happens in type 2 diabetes, in which insulin resistance seems to be the pathogenetic factor leading to both type 2 and PCOS), but just because things may happen together in the same person.
The simplest diagnostic tests are the determination of the ratio of two hormones (FSH/LH) produced cyclically by the pituitary gland, and an ultrasound examination of the ovaries. Ask your doctor for a referral to an endocrinologist if these exams show some abnormalities.
MS