I would like to talk about polycystic ovary syndrome, which is a common disease in women today, and the definition of microbiota, which we have heard about frequently in recent years. In fact, both topics have been studied for many years, but have become a hot topic in the last 5-10 years and are frequently researched and discussed in the scientific world. For the last 3 years, human and animal studies have been conducted on whether these two topics may be related to each other. I wanted to share this issue with you by compiling both scientific data and my own opinions.
First of all, I would like to briefly talk about these topics separately. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy that affects 5-10% of the female population of reproductive age. Basically, polycystic ovary syndrome can be said to be caused by an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone hormones and an increase in the level of testosterone, the male reproductive hormone. The main reason is attributed to genetic factors. Triggering factors include: faulty eating habits, weight gain, lack of exercise. The most basic clinical findings are; Irregularities in the menstrual cycle or amenorrhea, hirsutism (male pattern hair growth), oily skin with acne formation, and polycysts lined up like pearls in the ovaries are seen in the ultrasound image. This is the appearance due to the presence of excess egg cells in the ovaries. At least two of these 3 clinical findings must be present in the woman for the diagnosis of PCOS.
Polycystic ovary syndrome in the long term; Insulin Resistance causes complications such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, infertility, thickening of the uterine wall, and uterine cancer. In its treatment; Diet, lifestyle changes, exercise, medical treatment, and pharmacological treatment are used. In addition, in many obese women, polycystic ovary syndrome can be treated only with the right diet and weight loss results.
Let's examine the second heading a little bit. The term microbiota is used to refer to communities of microorganisms found in different parts of the body. The number of microbiota bacteria is 10 times greater than the number of our own cells. The gut microbiota consists of approximately 200 common bacterial species and more than 1,000 rare species. is. In fact, everyone's gut microbiota is different from each other, although some people may have similarities, it is impossible to say the same. The microbiota reaches 90% of the adult microbiota within 3 years after our birth. In other words, the first 3 years of life are very important. There are also environmental factors that affect the microbiota; these are the person's age, nutritional habits, geographical origin, lifestyle, type of birth, and antibiotic use.
Having a good intestinal microbiota is primarily; It reduces the risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. In addition, having sufficient and correct types of bacteria in the intestinal microbiota; It keeps the risks of systemic inflammation, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, hypertension, colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn's disease at lower rates.
Both headings are very important issues that affect the health status and quality of life of the person. There are basic mechanisms that suggest that the two topics are related. If we look at the possible mechanisms explaining the role of the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of PCOS:
The first possible mechanism is the dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota (due to obesity / high fat low fiber diet), which activates the host's immune system. Activation of the immune system interferes with insulin receptor function, causing hyperinsulinemia that increases ovarian androgen production and prevents normal development.
The second possible mechanism is the gut microbiota causing PCOS by stimulating the secretion of gut-brain peptides.
The third possible mechanism is androgens, which lead to the development of PCOS by shaping the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
In addition, human and animal studies have so far produced similar results on average. To briefly discuss these results; It has been determined that bacterial diversity decreases as a result of dysbiosis in the intestinal microbiota, which may be related to PCOS. Again, after it is formed in PCOS, it affects the microbiota, causing some of the bacteria to decrease and some to increase. It is determined that these two situations affect each other. in women Prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic supplementation has been shown to improve and positively affect many biochemical findings with PCOS, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Several logical mechanisms have been proposed to recommend supplements such as probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotic agents that support the microbiota in the treatment of PCOS. However, for definitive evidence, human studies examining the relationship between intestinal microbiota and different PCOS phenotypes are required.
My subjective opinion is that PCOS and microbiota have many common complications. The most important of these; obesity, insulin resistance and Type 2 DM. They positively affect each other's existence due to common complications. Microbiota dysbiosis affects androgen hormone synthesis and increases the severity of PCOS, which can lead to infertility in people. Deviations in the diversity and types of microbiota in the intestines can cause obesity and insulin resistance, and hence indirectly PCOS. PCOS may cause negative changes in the microbiota. At the same time, negative changes in the microbiota may cause PCOS. There is a need for human studies with more and larger groups of participants to prove that PCOS and microbiota definitely interact.
My prediction is that the additional use of probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of PCOS will have a positive effect in the coming years.
Read: 0
