Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age, affecting 10-15 percent of women and upward of 7 million women in the US alone. Despite its name, ovarian cysts are not required for its diagnosis. Rather than just a condition of the ovaries, PCOS is a condition with genetic links that affects a woman’s entire body throughout her lifespan with symptoms such as weight gain, irregular periods, infertility, acne, hair growth on the face (hirsutism), and hair loss. PCOS also steps-up a woman’s risks for type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease as she gets older—and it doesn’t go away after menopause.
