PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is often characterized by irregular ovulation. The menstrual cycle for someone with PCOS may be longer than usual. For a typical person, periods come about every 28 days, but with PCOS, the cycle may extend to over 35 days or even several months in some cases.
Does Weight Affect PCOS Treatment?
Women with PCOS often have higher male hormone levels and may be insulin-resistant. While many may struggle with excess weight or obesity, others can have a normal or even low BMI. Weight doesn’t necessarily affect the quality and quantity of eggs, meaning that both lean and heavier individuals with PCOS may still face challenges with egg quality.
When treated with Metformin—a medication often prescribed to manage blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity—those without obesity may respond better. This also applies to ovulation stimulation, where lean individuals may respond more efficiently to medications, requiring lower doses, shorter treatment times, and often resulting in better-quality eggs compared to those who are obese and have PCOS.
PCOS and IVF/ICSI
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition in women. Not everyone with PCOS needs IVF, as mild cases can sometimes be managed by lifestyle changes, such as weight loss. For some women with obesity, losing weight can restore regular periods and ovulation, making natural conception possible.
If necessary, the next treatment step might be intrauterine insemination (IUI), and if this isn’t effective, IVF may be an option. Those with PCOS often produce a high number of eggs after stimulation, but the quality may vary depending on the severity of PCOS and the woman’s age.
For IVF, women with PCOS might retrieve many eggs, but only a small portion may be of good quality to develop into viable embryos for implantation.
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