Episode #13: PCOS & Risk Factors

What you’ll learn in this episode

PCOS is not just a fertility issue. It is a medical condition that comes with long term health risks. Yet healthcare providers only address it if certain symptoms are bothering you. Most women including me have been diagnosed, offered birth control and told to return if and when they want help with fertility. 

What about monitoring for longer term problems? What about reducing the risk of factors? Well that is exactly what this episode is about 

What are the risk factors that come with having PCOS? 

While PCOS often is thought of as a fertility or reproductive hormone disorder, those are only the tip of the iceberg. The real hormones that we can rebalance to reverse PCOS symptoms AND risk factors go deeper than that into our metabolic system. 

These deeper, root cause hormones can lead to all the common symptoms of PCOS but if not addressed and allowed to stay out of balance can lead to more problems as well. These other problems may take longer to develop but they are also more problematic to your health. These risk factors include: 

~ Type two diabetes

~ Heart Disease

~ Cancer 

As well as other health disorders. 

How to address risk factors associated with PCOS

The good news is that with early diagnosis and appropriate lifestyle adjustments for PCOS you can avoid or significantly lessen any health risk in your future. Back in episode #2 I shared how PCOS makes us sensitive to our environment but when we create an environment that allows for health PCOS risk for long term health risks decreases immensely 

That’s why in this episode I walk you through how risk factors to be aware of, how to work with your doctor to monitor your health and how to head them off all together. 

So go ahead and tune into this very important episode.

Here’s a glance at this episode…

[00:06] 

PCOS is not just a fertility issue. It is a medical condition that comes with longterm health risks. Yet healthcare providers only address symptoms if they’re bothering you, otherwise they just diagnose it and then mostly leave it alone. 

[05:25] 

As we reach our thirties, the risks, depending on your current state of health, start to become something that we should be looking at. Definitely by your forties and fifties these are things that should be monitored on a routine basis.  

[06:32] 

But what we really need our healthcare providers to do is to monitor our health over time. So when should we contact our doctor? 

[07:37] 

Retesting to see if you can lower doses, reduce medications, come off certain medications. If a medication is really giving you a hard time with side effects, by all means talk to your physician. Again, there are many medication options for both heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes. 

[08:46] 

It is not an either or [lifestyle or medical treatment]. So be sure to work with your doctor on this. And at the very least, make sure that you are being monitored on a regular basis. 

[09:46] 

So again, start with the root cause and then because PCOS can lead to these long term problems, even with lifestyle management, make sure your doctor is monitoring you. 

[12:07] 

Getting your periods back [naturally] is relatively straightforward. Some of the other symptoms of PCOS can be a lot more difficult. But having regular enough cycles to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer is one of the more simple things to do when it comes to PCOS management. 

[13:10] 

Take the Root Cause Quiz because this changes over time. If it’s been a while since you’ve assessed your root cause, make sure you take the PCOS Root Cause Quiz. It will be linked in the Show Notes below.  

Resources & References Mentioned in this episode

Get your FREE copy of the PCOS Fertility Meal guide

 Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal 

Episode #10: Exercise for PCOS Hormone Balance

References:

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) 101

Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome

Cardiovascular disease risk in women with PCOS

Long-term health consequences of PCOS

Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in PCOS Women of Postmenopausal Age: A 21-Year Controlled Follow-Up Study

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

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