Up to 80% of women who do not menstruate are diagnosed with PCOS. The syndrome is characterized by an excess of androgens, the male sex hormones, which disrupts normal ovulation and results in symptoms such as irregular or absent menstrual periods and multiple cysts in the ovaries.

Other symptoms include masculinization in the form of facial and chest hair growth, decreased breast size, aggravating acne and others. Many women with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance, which is often accompanied by obesity. That is why their bodies overproduce insulin. Excessive insulin production causes excessive androgen production by the ovaries, which results in the symptoms, listed above.

PCOS is treated with medication and/or lifestyle changes.