Ratio of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome among Pakistani women much higher

KARACHI: Although over 15 per cent of women suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome worldwide, including in Pakistan, most women don't get treatment for the disease due to unawareness, experts said. 

"Hundreds of thousands of women in Pakistan suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a genetic condition which aggravates a sedentary lifestyle. Due to lack of knowledge and information, most of the women with PCOS don't get treatment and have to face physical and mental health issues", eminent gynaecologist and Secretary General of Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SOGP) Dr Tazeen Abbas at Karachi Press Club (KPC) in connection with PCOS awareness month 2022. 

PCOS is a disorder in which the ovaries create an excessive quantity of androgens; male sex hormones normally present in tiny quantities in women. The polycystic ovarian syndrome refers to the formation of many fluid-filled cysts in the ovaries. Nevertheless, some women with this illness do not produce cysts, and others without this disorder do.

"There are three main features of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) including irregular periods, which means ovaries do not regularly release eggs (ovulation), excess androgen that is high levels of "male" hormones in a female body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair and polycystic ovaries, which means a woman's ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) that surround the eggs. Despite the name, a woman does not have cysts if she has PCOS", Dr Tazeen Abbas said. 

Accompanied by Rahat Qureshi from Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH),  Dr Sonia Naqvi, President, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Dr Rubina Ishaque, head of gynaecology Department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) Karachi, Dr Tazeen Abbas said it is difficult to know exactly how many women have PCOS in Pakistan as no accurate data is available but added that by looking at the visits of women at clinics, it's thought to be very common, affecting a lot more than 15 per cent. She added that more than half of these women do not have any symptoms. 

Prof. Dr Rahat Qureshi from the AKUH said PCOS is a genetic disease and requires hormonal treatment but added that lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and consumption of junk food aggravates the severity of this disease among women. 

"If girls participate in physical activities and take healthy and balanced diet, they can delay the onset of this disease while those who develop it, at least 10 per cent of them can get rid of it by adopting a healthy lifestyle", she added. 

Prof. Rubina Ishaq from the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital thought that due to lack of awareness, many women don't consult healthcare providers and instead consult quacks which further deteriorates their condition and adds that by consulting qualified healthcare providers, married women could even conceive and have babies despite having PCOS. 

PMA Karachi President said no surgery is required to treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and added that if a lady losses 10 to 15 kilograms of her weight, she can have a normal and healthy life despite having PCOS.