Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects roughly 10 percent of all women, yet often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Katherine Sherif, M.D., Director of Jefferson Women’s Primary Care recently spoke with Health, Wealth and Wisdom on Tampa Bay’s 1250 AM WHNZ about PCOS.
It is often undiagnosed because patients seek help from a variety of specialists for their various individual symptoms, without discussing their overall health with any one provider.
“PCOS is a syndrome, a collection of symptoms. It isn’t just about the ovaries,” said Dr. Sherif.
Common symptoms include irregular menstrual cycles, high testosterone, facial hair, weight gain, high blood pressure at a young age and infertility. The condition is genetic and targets pre-menopausal women during the reproductive years. And – it gets worse if you gain weight.
If left untreated, PCOS can eventually lead to fatty liver and heart disease at a young age, ultimately causing accelerated aging.
You can listen to the full interview, beginning at the 31:50 mark here.
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