The case in summary
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- A new study shows that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have an eight times higher risk of suicide.
- The study was carried out by researchers from Taiwan and included almost 19,000 women, both with and without PCOS.
- The results also show that young people with PCOS have a higher risk of suicide attempts. 5.38 times higher than young people without the diagnosis.
- Senior doctor Eszter Vanky at NTNU and St. Olav’s hospital believes the study is solid and important for healthcare personnel to know.
- There is no cure for PCOS, but the symptoms can be treated, and routine monitoring of mental health and suicide risk among this group is important, say the researchers.
The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by NRK’s journalists before publication.
The diagnosis is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and is a condition that affects approximately 15 percent of women of childbearing age.
In a new, large study, researchers have found that this group has an increased risk of suicide. They have found that the probability of committing suicide is eight times greater among women with the diagnosis.
Eszter Vanky is professor and senior physician at NTNU and St. Olav’s hospital. She thinks the figure is outrageous, but thinks the study is solid.
– I believe that the results can be trusted, even though life and conditions are certainly different in Taiwan than in Norway. Perhaps the most important thing is to know the risk, be aware of it and include it as an important part of the PCOS investigation, she says to NRK.
The study has been published i Annals of Internal Medicine.
This is PCOS
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PCOS is a syndrome that affects 15 percent of women. The cause of the disease is unknown, but heredity and environment have something to say.
You must have at least two of three of the symptoms to have PCOS:
- 20 or more egg sacs in one ovary.
- Irregular menstruation
- Too high a testosterone level
PCOS can develop from puberty, or from the age of 20.
Common consequences of the syndrome:
- High testosterone levels can cause unwanted hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, arms and legs, acne, hair loss on the head and naturally high muscle strength.
- Lack of ovulation can lead to difficulties in conceiving naturally.
- Higher blood pressure than “normal” women, which makes one more prone to heart and vascular diseases.
- Reduced quality of life and sex life, and more anxiety and depression.
- Abortion or premature birth
- Sleep apnea
Treatment
- Weight loss and weight control through changing diet and exercise. Just reducing five percent of body weight increases the chance of ovulation, because it reduces insulin and testosterone levels.
- Medicine: Birth control pills and progesterone tablets to regulate the menstrual cycle.
- Laser radiation for facial hair removal.
- Use of diabetes medication (metmorphine) can provide better blood sugar control and some weight reduction.
Source: Department of Clinical Medicine, Uio
Eight times as big
It is researchers from Taiwan who have carried out the study. It includes close to 19,000 women both with and without the disease.
They have used data from a nationwide database to find answers.
In the study, the researchers have taken into account a number of factors such as age, demographics, psychiatric conditions, physical conditions and other illnesses.
On average, the results showed that women with PCOS have an eight times higher risk of committing suicide
The study also showed that a subgroup of young people with the diagnosis also had a higher risk of suicide. Among this group, the risk was 5.38 times higher than among young people without the diagnosis.
Can’t get help
Ingvild-Sofie Strand is one of many women who have PCOS. She was diagnosed when she was 13 years old.
– The first thing I heard was that I was never going to have children, and then I got a prescription for birth control pills. It was like that, she says.
– But the truth is that women with this can have children, but it can be a little more difficult, she continues.
Strand has struggled with several of the typical symptoms of PCOS, but it is her weight that has always bothered her the most.
Ingvild-Sofie Strand was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when she was 13. She has struggled with the symptoms ever since.
Photo: Ingvild-Sofie Strand
– When I have sought help, I have been told that I have to go for more walks and stop being lazy, but I am not. You are not taken seriously, and it also seems that the healthcare system does not know enough about PCOS, says Strand.
And all this has resulted in her thinking several times that the only way out is to end her own life.
– No one talks about the rest of the condition, what you get as “the broken companions”. What to do to fix the problems, how to deal with it, what you should do. You are completely alone, says Strand.
Better follow-up
Eszter Vanky says that it is already known that women with PCOS have a somewhat increased incidence of both milder and more serious psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Therefore, the professor at NTNU believes that it is not surprising that this group has a higher risk of suicide.
Eszter Vanky is professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at NTNU. She is also a senior physician at the Women’s Clinic at St. Olav’s hospital.
Photo: Frida J. Krüger / NRK
Vanky herself works with women who have PCOS. She says it is important not to scare people with the results of the study.
Nevertheless, she believes the results are something you should know about.
– It is important for both the GP, the patient and the next of kin to be aware of this. It is important that health personnel ask about this and refer to the right authority. It is equally important that the patients themselves are aware that they have increased vulnerability, and that they speak up when they feel that life is heavy and dark.
Vanky says there is little doubt that this group of women needs better follow-up than is currently available.
– I think many women with PCOS have received treatment and follow-up for psychological problems without having been diagnosed. Most people with PCOS have good mental health, but we as doctors should be aware of this risk.
– Do you see weaknesses in this study?
– Not necessarily weaknesses. An important question that remains unanswered is what is the cause of the increased incidence of suicide attempts. It has been shown that obesity, increased hair growth and concerns about fertility affect the quality of life in women with PCOS, says Vanky.
A community
– Much of the information I have received about PCOS has been through TikTok, and the Facebook group “PCOS Søstre Norge”, says Ingvild-Sofie Strand.
Among other things, she has struggled to sleep at night, and with anxiety that she has not been able to explain where it comes from.
Then it has been nice to get tips and experiences from others in the same situation.
– You hear that this is only a fertility problem, but it is not, there are so many more problems that are not talked about. I myself have had to find out that PCOS can increase anxiety, says Strand.
There is no cure
There is no cure for PCOS, but the symptoms can be treated.
Losing weight, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising can help. Some medications can also be used to help with ovulation, reduce hair growth and acne, according to experts.
According to the researchers behind the new study, the results suggest how important routine monitoring of mental health and suicide risk is among this group.
Professor Eszter Vanky says that they have recently updated the guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for women with PCOS in the Norwegian electronic medical handbook.
Ingvild-Sofie Strand has not given up hope that things can get better.
– I’ve got a place at adult psychiatry now. I have been there before, and I hope it will be better this round, she concludes.